Chelsea have made a £45m bid to sign the star

After the failure of Liam Rosenior as Chelsea manager, it was important for the management to make a statement on the appointment of managers to bring the fans back to the side.

The arrival of Xabi Alonso will no doubt do just that, as the Spaniard has been successful – as seen during his time at Bayer Leverkusen, with two wins in 2023/24.

However, if he is to be a success at Stamford Bridge, the board will have to trust the 44-year-old with transfers and move away from his scattergun approach as seen in recent seasons.

It is not clear how much he will spend, especially as the Blues spent more than £1.7b in the last four years after BlueCo took over in West London.

A number of players are already on the club’s radar, with various positions at the top level needing to be strengthened ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Chelsea are in talks to sign the £45m talent this summer

In the past few days, Chelsea have been looking for a number of potential additions – with big money additions on the cards for Alonso’s men.

Lille star, Ayyoub Bouaddi, has been mentioned as a potential target, after the Moroccan produced an impressive performance against Brazil at the World Cup.

Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool are also tipped to be interested in the 18-year-old midfielder – who could cost around £70m this window.

He is not the only player who has appeared on their radar as of late, with Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso another target for recruitment.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea have reportedly agreed a transfer deal with the Italian club for the 26-year-old, who made 36 league appearances in Serie A last season.

The article claims that Nicolas Jackson is a player included in a possible transfer, but it is unclear whether the player himself would accept a move to Italy in this window.

Cambiaso himself is said to be open to leaving the Old Lady ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, with his current employers reportedly valuing him for around £45m.

Why Cambiaso would be the perfect player for Cucurella instead of Chelsea

Five days ago, Chelsea fans were shocked to learn that defender Marc Cucurella had completed a move to join Real Madrid ahead of 2026/27.

A move for the 27-year-old looked set to fall through, but the Blues flashed a £55m deal and secured an immediate exit from the European champions.

However, the move will be a huge blow to Alonso and his plans at Stamford Bridge, especially considering the defender featured 56 times in all competitions last season.

Cucurella’s tally of 2710 minutes was played in the Premier League during the 2025/26 campaign, with only four players in the first team playing more in the same period.

Losing the Spaniard is no doubt very painful, but an early sale and a decent transfer fee provide a great opportunity for the recruitment team to work their magic.

A move for Cambiaso could see the Blues land Cucurella’s ideal replacement, with the Italian having been a standout performer for the Serie A side in recent seasons.

His statistics of the recent campaign show his quality at both ends of the pitch – he even managed to outperform the Spaniard in various key areas of the system.

Cambiaso, called “amazing” by analyst Liam Doerr, was able to finish some of the passes he attempted, while creating many opportunities in 90.

The aforementioned statistics place him in the top 10% of all defenders in Europe – highlighting his incredible ability to create carnage with the ball at his feet.

The Italian star also managed to complete some crosses in the last 90 campaign – highlighting his ability to put the product at the end of his best opportunities in attacking areas.

However, off the ball, Cambiaso again managed to outplay the departed Blues star, making more tackles in 90 and achieving a better duel win.

The Italian’s average of 5.4 balls per 90 also highlighted his incredible ability to stop the flow of opposition players – putting him in the top 8% of defenders in Europe.

A deal for Cambiaso would be a very good piece of business for Chelsea this summer, but it is unclear whether their transfer offer will be accepted by Juventus.

An asking price of £45m would be a good price for a player of the Italian’s caliber – not to mention he has shown that he can surpass Cucurella in various areas of his game.