A new chapter is under way at Stamford Bridge. With Xabi Alonso installed as manager and a summer of sweeping changes behind them, Chelsea head into the 2026-27 Premier League season carrying both excitement and uncertainty in equal measure.
The Enzo Fernandez question
The most pressing issue hanging over the club is the future of Enzo Fernandez. Sky Sports News reporter James Savundra revealed that when he spoke with Alonso during his second week in charge, the new manager was effusive about players such as Reece James and Cole Palmer — but conspicuously guarded about Fernandez, offering only brief, non-committal answers.
According to Savundra, Fernandez holds a contract with six years remaining but is seeking a higher base salary, with Manchester City having been linked to a potential £120 million move. When the transfer deadline passed last Friday without a bid arriving, Chelsea sources indicated they expect Fernandez to remain through the end of the season — though that falls well short of a firm commitment. The club are keen to prevent his situation from overshadowing Alonso's opening press conferences. Should he stay, however, Savundra is clear that Fernandez would be central to Alonso's plans.
Rogers, Palmer, and the front three
The £117 million arrival of Morgan Rogers has generated considerable intrigue, particularly his potential partnership with Cole Palmer. Sky Sports football journalist David Richardson noted that in pre-season, Rogers operated on the left of a front three alongside Joao Pedro through the middle and Palmer cutting in from the right — both Rogers and Palmer functioning as inside forwards rather than orthodox wingers.
Richardson was emphatic about the attacking quality on show: in his assessment, that front three rivals any in the Premier League. Joao Pedro has been especially sharp, netting seven goals across five pre-season appearances. Rogers and Joao Pedro showed the sharpest early chemistry, though Palmer — rested after missing the World Cup and finally free of the injuries that interrupted his previous campaign — is expected to rediscover the form that made his debut Chelsea season so remarkable.
Tactical shape taking form
Alonso's preferred system remains a topic of debate. Richardson outlined that Chelsea used a back four in their first three pre-season fixtures before switching to a back three for the final three games, when more senior players became available. In the first half against Real Sociedad, the back three collapsed too deep, resembling a back five, with Marco Palestra and Pedro Neto as wing-backs struggling to push the team up the pitch. The second half brought significant improvement: Chelsea played higher, controlled possession, and pressed with far greater intensity.
Henderson, Welbeck, and a change of philosophy
Savundra pointed to the signings of Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck as evidence of a deliberate shift in transfer strategy. Persistent disciplinary problems — too many needless yellow cards under previous managers — and a lack of leadership in a young squad prompted Alonso and the club's ownership to seek experience. Henderson and Welbeck, alongside slightly younger arrivals Maxence Lacroix, 26, and Pep Chavarria, 28, represent what Savundra described as an open acknowledgment that past recruitment mistakes were made and a new chapter is now being written.
What does success look like this season?
Savundra suggested Chelsea's ownership views this as a multi-year project rather than a one-season sprint, and that Alonso's position would not hinge solely on whether the club secure UEFA Champions League football this term. Progress visible on the pitch and a developing culture behind the scenes would matter as much as results.
That said, with £117 million committed to Rogers alone, ambitions clearly stretch beyond a mid-table finish. Qualification for the UEFA Champions League and a deep run in either the FA Cup or the Carabao Cup appear to be the realistic targets — and with Liverpool in flux and Manchester United still adjusting to their first full season under Michael Carrick, the landscape looks more open than it has in years.
