Five Transfer Targets for Xabi Alonso to Consider Signing at Chelsea

Xabi Alonso will reportedly have a “big say” on Chelsea’s transfers after assuming the helm, with a focus on multiple “experienced” players thought to be very much on the radar of a very different type of appointment for the Blues.

The manager’s significance had gradually been rendered obsolete by BlueCo at Chelsea, with their dismissal of the role’s importance depicted by the appointment of the woefully out of his depth Liam Rosenior.

However, it’d seem that Rosenior’s dreadful reign has shifted the thinking in west London.

The Blues have secured the services of the highly-regarded Alonso on a four-year contract. The Spaniard enters this role with his reputation still intact despite only a brief spell at Real Madrid, with this Los Blancos team proving to be utterly uncoachable.

He’s a superb manager capable of once again reasserting Chelsea at the summit of the English game after a period in the wilderness.Alonso, unlike some of his predecessors of the BlueCo era, is expected to have plenty of authority when it comes to recruitment at Stamford Bridge, per The Guardian.

Xabi Alonso looking to the side. — Xabi Alonso is set to take charge of Chelsea after the World Cup. | Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Higher-ups are seemingly willing to cede power for Alonso’s project to get off the ground, and the Spaniard’s work begins with a pivotal summer transfer window.

Experience will reportedly be prioritized across various positions of need, including goalkeeper, center back and out wide. Here are five players they could target this summer.

Robin Roefs

Mike Penders has been superb on loan at Strasbourg and is heading to the World Cup with Belgium as a result. He has the potential to usurp Robert Sánchez as Chelsea‘s No. 1, but the Blues will almost certainly add another to their depth chart.

Sánchez, ultimately, cannot be relied upon as the club’s long-term starting goalkeeper. Another managerial change should allow the club to cut ties with the Spaniard and reset.

Alonso requires a more measured and calmer presence in possession, and Sunderland’s Robin Roes seems like an excellent fit. The Dutchman is a serene figure between the posts, instilling calm within his defense, all while manifesting the aura of a goalkeeper who has every situation under control. Crucially, his first Premier League season has been bereft of error.

According to Opta, he ranks second in the division with 104 saves made and also boasts the second-highest save percentage (70.3%). At just 23 years old, there’s plenty of room to grow, too, but he already looks like one of the Premier League’s best.

Sunderland proved with Jobe Bellingham last summer that they’re willing to sell prized assets for the right price, and several could be in the market for Roefs.

Ousmane Diomande

Chelsea have been linked with Ousmane Diomande for years, and they’ll soon welcome the center back’s teammate, Geovany Quenda into the fold.

Diomande is an immensely talented defender, who, at the age of 22, has a wealth of experience under his belt. He’s been part of title-winning Sporting CP teams under Ruben Amorim, and recently helped the Portuguese side reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the very first time since the competition’s rebranding.

He has excelled in a back three and four, and Alonso may shift defensive configurations regularly in west London. Such versatility will intrigue the new manager, who’d also love what Diomande can do in possession. The defender’s remarkable trivela pass for Maxi Araújo broke open Arsenal’s stubborn defense and should‘ve led to the opening goal in their recent European tie.

He seems like the perfect option for Alonso, with Chelsea potentially biting the bullet after years of flirting. However, the new contract he signed in January means he will not come cheap.

Marcos Senesi

Not every move Chelsea make this summer has to blow the mind or facilitate lofty predictions of a return to Premier League glory. Some will be low-key, astute additions necessary for the balance of the squad.

Levi Colwill proved in the FA Cup final that he’s a defender Alonso can build around. Hoping he avoids any more notable fitness setbacks in the wake of recovering from an ACL tear, 2026–27 promises to be hugely exciting for the Englishman.

Depth behind Colwill could be targeted, though, and Chelsea are known to be in the market for impending free agent Marcos Senesi. Approaching 30 and with Premier League experience in abundance, Senesi could be a useful rotational piece to offer Colwill respite.

The Argentine isn’t without faults, that’s for sure, but he’s a classy operator in possession who excels at passing over long distances. The methodical Alonso prefers a patient, shorter approach, but Senesi doubtless has the technique to thrive in a more intricate system.

Tottenham Hotspur are said to be leading the race, but their potential relegation, which Chelsea could aid on Tuesday night, would open the door for the Blues.

Anthony Gordon

Newcastle United are sticking with Eddie Howe despite a season of decline on Tyneside, but it looks like their forward line will no longer revolve around Anthony Gordon.

The England international is set to leave the club this summer, and reportedly has an impressive array of clubs on his tail, including Bayern Munich. Some may wonder why exactly Europe’s most potent attacking force are after a player like Gordon, who can flatter to deceive at times but is electric during purple patches of form.

Gordon may be up-and-down, but he‘s a manager‘s dream. He gets through so much work without the ball, and Alonso would undoubtedly value that energy. There’s a lack of invention in one-on-one scenarios, but Gordon can suffocate, overwhelm and bypass defenders through a sheer force of will.

Moreover, his form as a striker in the Champions League this season means his arrival would kill two birds with one stone. Gordon can operate wide left, where Chelsea desperately need an upgrade after Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens’s poor debut seasons, but also provide superior cover for João Pedro up top.

Liam Delap’s services will not be required under the manager. Nicolas Jackson, on the other hand, might have a chance.

Bradley Barcola

The forgotten horseman of Paris Saint-Germain’s four-pronged attack, Bradley Barcola could leave the French capital in favor of emerging as a protagonist elsewhere. It’s the Neymar ploy, albeit one that didn’t quite work out for the Brazilian.

Chelsea’s wing play has been turgid for much of 2025–26, but they certainly have something in young Estêvão, even if he’s going to be sidelined for a while with a significant hamstring tear. Alonso would ideally want someone who can perform down both flanks with equal comfort, and Barcola is forced to occupy a myriad of zones in Luis Enrique’s fluid framework.

Contracted at PSG until 2028, Barcola could have a huge decision to make this summer. Amid reports of PSG lining up a bumper new deal, he’ll have the choice of committing to the Parisians for the long haul or potentially opting for pastures new.

A move would be expensive, but perhaps not break-the-bank material, so Chelsea should regard a potential swoop for the gangly yet sublime winger as feasible. He can frustrate in front of goal, but Barcola’s aesthetic and wild unpredictability render him an enthralling watch.

The Premier League should welcome a player like this with open arms.

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