The Winners, Losers From Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea Arrival

Chelsea have swung for the fences with their latest managerial appointment, striking a deal to bring Xabi Alonso to Stamford Bridge this summer.

A drop in Alonso’s stock during his time at Real Madrid has actually been reversed since his departure, with the problems at the Bernabéu making it clear he was not solely to blame, and reigniting excitement among a Chelsea fanbase starved of positivity since the start of the year.

Alonso is expected to make some significant changes at Chelsea, given the freedom to build the team in his own image. That’s good news for some players but may come as a blow to others in the Blues dressing room.

Here are three winners and three losers from Alonso’s appointment at Chelsea.

Winners

Cole Palmer

Alonso’s plans for Cole Palmer will likely have been a key part of the entire negotiating process. The Englishman looked like a superstar under Mauricio Pochettino and impressed throughout Enzo Maresca’s first year, but 2025–26 has not been an easy season for Palmer.

Under Alonso, Palmer can expect a return to a central attacking midfield role, but with the freedom to drift into areas in which he can impact the game. Florian Wirtz had this task under Alonso at Leverkusen, responding with double- figures for both goals and assists as he produced the sort of form that convinced Liverpool to break their transfer record.

Palmer has all the attributes needed to be the focal point of Alonso’s team. How the pair work together will likely define their respective legacies at Stamford Bridge.

Reece James

There are a few ways to look at this for captain Reece James. Not all of them are positive, but there are enough reasons for the right back to be optimistic.

If Alonso deploys the 3-4-2-1 formation with which he cut his teeth in Leverkusen, the gauntlet to James will be set down. The right wing back role is there for the taking if he can prove his fitness, and it was in that position that James produced the best form of his career under Thomas Tuchel.

If James’s injury-plagued legs cannot live up to the demands of the role anymore, a spot as a right-sided center back, where he spent most of his days towards the end of his time in academy soccer, could bring the most out of James once again.

Nicolas Jackson

With Enzo Maresca now out the door, Chelsea would be wise to rebuild their bridge with Nicolas Jackson, who will return to the club this summer after the conclusion of his loan with Bayern Munich.

Is Jackson the finished article? Absolutely not, but that does not mean he would not fit into Alonso’s tactical setup, which requires immense energy from the front and a constant willingness to run behind and stretch defenses. Jackson has his flaws, but those are some of his strengths.

Liam Delap is among those tipped to leave Chelsea this summer, meaning there could be an immediate vacancy for Jackson to fill.

Losers

Alejandro Garnacho

It is no secret that Alejandro Garnacho’s move to Chelsea last summer was one driven by data and the recruitment model of the sporting directors. His attitude has been immense and the Argentine has fitted well into the group, but on the pitch, there has been very little success for Garnacho to celebrate.

With Alonso’s eye test now given plenty of responsibility, Garnacho could be in trouble, particularly if the boss brings back a 3-4-2-1 formation that does not involve natural wingers.

We saw Garnacho struggle adjusting to an inside forward role in the same system under Ruben Amorim at Manchester United. Unfortunately for the 21-year-old, there is little reason to believe this adjustment will go much better.

Jamie Gittens

Jamie Gittens falls into a similar boat to Garnacho. Those calling the shots in the boardroom loved him but, once again, the on-field output has underwhelmed. Injuries have hardly helped Gittens’s case, either.

Gittens will have to hope that, once he recovers from his hamstring injury, Alonso keeps a formation that includes wingers. If he does not, the challenge for the former Borussia Dortmund talent will be to reinvent himself as a wing back or a central forward.

A shift away from a formation involving wingers would make a huge statement from Alonso, given it would come as an obvious blow to the vision presented by the recruitment team.

Marc Cucurella

Another who will be awaiting a final formation verdict, Marc Cucurella could find himself challenged to dust off his wing back boots if Alonso brings back his 3-4-2-1.

Cucurella is a good player and his attacking instincts have been trusted by many managers before Alonso—Maresca’s determination to play him as an inverted attacking midfielder drove many fans wild—but he has major shortcomings in this role, particularly when it comes to possession.

If Alonso wants a willing runner, Cucurella can do a job. However, if the boss wants more from his wide players, there could be a problem for the Spaniard, who may benefit from the complete lack of natural alternatives in the current squad.

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