Xabi Alonso axes four Chelsea players as major squad shake-up gathers pace

Xabi Alonso has been in charge of Chelsea for just a few weeks but the Spaniard has already made his mark on the squad

Xabi Alonso has permitted four Chelsea players to leave the club already as his major summer revamp continues. A swift and decisive transformation is underway at Stamford Bridge, with new head coach Alonso giving his approval on wholesale changes.

The 44-year-old Spaniard assumed control on July 1 after agreeing to a four-year contract in May. His arrival marks a fresh start for the west London club following a turbulent campaign that saw three different managers take charge.

Expectation levels surrounding Alonso are understandably high, largely as a result of his managerial success at Bayer Leverkusen, which subsequently earned him a brief tenure in charge of Real Madrid. Renowned for his sharp tactical acumen and leadership qualities, Alonso was chosen to lead Chelsea’s new era and has wasted no time putting his stamp on the group ahead of the 2026/27 season.

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Alongside giving approval for four player exits, the Spaniard has overseen the signing of several players. Chelsea have secured high-profile signings in England international Morgan Rogers for £117m, 19-year-old winger Geovany Quenda for £40m and 21-year-old defender Marco Palestra for £47m. With over a month remaining in the transfer window, the rebuild in SW6 is far from over, with further arrivals and departures on the horizon.

The first high-profile departure of the summer came when Alonso green-lit defender Marc Cucurella's move to Real Madrid. The left-back's swift exit caught many off guard, given he had been considered one of the standout performers in his position in the Premier League.

Cucurella was a crucial member of the squad last season under Enzo Maresca but his performances declined under the Italian's successor, Liam Rosenior. The Spanish full-back publicly criticised the managerial instability and the club's management in March.

He later spoke openly about discussions with incoming manager Alonso and being excited by the prospect of playing under his fellow countryman - but opted to join Real Madrid, driven by his ambition to return to Spain after five years in the UK. The opportunity to join Los Blancos also proved too tempting to reject.

For Chelsea, it was logical to approve the transfer, given the Blues reportedly generated £17.5m profit in accounting terms based on the fee they had paid Brighton to sign him. They succeeded in selling a 28-year-old in a way that strengthened their financial standing - a shrewd move given they remain without a front-of-shirt sponsor and haven't qualified for European competition. The decision to let him go was softened by the rise of youngster Jorrel Hato at left-back last season.

The new Blues boss also sanctioned the departure of 20-year-old winger Tyrique George, who finalised a transfer worth £18m plus £6m in add-ons to Everton. George spent half of last season on loan at Everton and impressed David Moyes.

Alonso would have been more than satisfied to pocket such a sum for a player who managed just 37 appearances throughout his entire Chelsea career, particularly with the likes of Jamie Gittens, Pedro Neto, Estevao and new signing Rogers all providing quality out wide.

Chelsea's abundance of wide options has also led Alonso to deem Alejandro Garnacho expendable. The Argentine has put pen to paper on a season-long loan agreement with Aston Villa, with a £42.5m buyout clause set to become mandatory should certain conditions be fulfilled.

Speaking at his first press conference at Chelsea earlier this month, Alonso left little doubt that he believes Garnacho's future lies elsewhere. Alonso said: "Well the situation is that we have spoken with the sporting directors.

"There is an interest for him [Garnacho] from other clubs. So let's see how this develops. But hopefully, it finishes in the best possible way for other clubs."

Shifting focus to the midfield, Alonso also granted Andrey Santos permission to leave, with the Brazilian completing a £48m move to Manchester United earlier this month. Santos requested to leave due to the intense competition for midfield places and the limited opportunity for regular first-team action.

Alonso sanctioned the Brazilian's departure as he has Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo in that position, with the fee gained from Santos' exit able to be used to address pressing squad needs.

football.london reports discussions are now advancing with Crystal Palace over a deal for centre-back Maxence Lacroix. Palace are reportedly seeking a fee of around £60m for the 26-year-old, who is believed to be open to leaving Selhurst Park this summer. But Chelsea are trying to find some sort of middle ground with their London rivals.

Alonso is also understood to be pursuing a top-quality midfield signing. The Blues had an £8m bid for Granit Xhaka rejected last month. In recent weeks, they have been linked with Manu Kone, Adam Wharton and had an offer knocked back for Bournemouth's Alex Scott.

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