Chelsea could enter the transfer market next season in a bid to improve on a lackluster campaign with Xabi Alonso in charge
Chelsea could look to the transfer market to revolutionize their midfield (Image: Getty)
Xabi Alonso could see Chelsea’s midfield transformed this summer with a signing worth £180m. Former British record transfer Enzo Fernandes could also bid farewell to Stamford Bridge.
The west London side are currently licking their wounds after a disappointing season. With Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior both out of work for the season, Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League and will not play European football next season.
Former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid manager Alonso will take over in July. The Spaniard will aim to catapult his new team towards the top of the top flight.
With Fernandes likely to leave, Chelsea’s core could soon be overhauled. Mirror Football looks at two dream new England stars who could complete the team’s dream midfield.
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First, Argentine national team ace Fernandes has reportedly informed Chelsea of his intention to leave. This was just three years after they paid a then-record £106 million for his services.
Fernandes could be sold this summer (Image: Getty)
The 25-year-old has just finished runner-up in the club’s Player of the Year award, having scored 15 goals in the just-ended campaign. The asking price is likely to be in excess of £100m, and if he does leave, there will be some money for a replacement.
Under Alonso, Chelsea are expected to operate in a 3-4-2-1 formation with two midfield pivots and two attacking No. 10s. In an ideal world, if they sell Fernandes, they would buy two new midfielders.
Caicedo can grow under Alonso (Image: Getty)
Bought for £115m in 2023, Moises Caicedo is irreplaceable in the middle of the park and fits like a glove in Alonso’s more defensive pivot on the right. This position is tasked with counter-pressing and being a physical and resilient presence in midfield.
The club also already has Cole Palmer, who was left out of England’s World Cup squad and should not be left out of the starting XI despite a difficult season.
He can operate as a number 10 on the right wing, moving around and finding the pocket to create chances. Therefore, two new stars are needed in the transfer market. One is a double-pivot player and the other is a more direct and powerful number 10.
Adam Wharton and Morgan Rogers fit the bill. Wharton, who starred at Crystal Palace, is in demand and could leave the south London outfit for £80m this summer.
Wharton stars as Palace win the conference league (Image: Getty)
However, Chelsea will need to do everything in their power to nab him as he is a perfect fit for Alonso’s system. At Bayer Leverkusen, Granit Xhaka flourished as this left-footed deep playmaker, opening up passing angles and dictating the tempo.
Wharton is tailored to the role and lines up seamlessly with Caicedo. Rodgers will complete this dream midfield at Stamford Bridge.
The Aston Villa star is currently not participating in the 2026 World Cup with the Three Lions, but he is one of the best young players in the Premier League, having helped lead the team to Europa League glory this season.
Signing Rodgers could cost more than £100m (Image: Getty)
The 23-year-old is also reportedly on the radar of Arsenal and could give Alonso an explosive, direct inside forward next to international team-mate Palmer. He is said to have a price tag of over £100m, but this will not be an issue if Fernandes is sold.
Depth is already there, with player of the season Joao Pedro able to return to a deep No. 10 role, and Estevao and Pedro Neto able to provide pace off the bench. In the pivot, Romeo Rabia and Andrei Santos are solid backup options.
Chelsea’s dream midfield: Wharton, Caicedo. Rogers, Palmer.
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