Xabi Alonso confirms Reece James as Chelsea captain, seeks to retain Enzo Fernandez
Leadership and Player Futures Under Alonso
Xabi Alonso, the new manager for Chelsea, has confirmed that Reece James will continue as the club captain. James, who was appointed captain in August 2023, has been with the club since his academy days. Alonso expressed his desire for midfielder Enzo Fernandez to remain at the club, following private discussions with the player.
Alonso began his tenure at Chelsea this week, though with a reduced squad as some players are still participating in the World Cup. Both James and Fernandez were absent from early training sessions, as they are involved in the tournament.
Regarding James, Alonso stated, “He can do everything. He can attack from inside or outside. He can deliver, he’s good at set-pieces, he has blue DNA, which is very important, and we transmit that to the whole team and new players. He’s going to be the captain.” James made 39 appearances across all competitions last season and was part of England’s World Cup squad.
Squad Changes and Transfer Interest
Enzo Fernandez, who joined Chelsea in January 2023 for a transfer fee of £106.8m, had a notable season last term, scoring 10 Premier League goals and providing four assists in 36 appearances. Despite reports linking him with a move away, including interest from Real Madrid which the Spanish club publicly denied, Alonso has indicated his preference for Fernandez to stay.
Alonso commented on Fernandez, saying, “Enzo’s a great player and we are looking forward to having him and start working together.”
Conversely, Alonso confirmed that there is interest from other clubs in winger Alejandro Garnacho. Reports suggest that Chelsea is prepared to sell Garnacho for £50m this summer. Roma is among the clubs reportedly interested in signing the player. Garnacho did not participate in Alonso’s initial training session this week.
Alonso addressed Garnacho’s situation, stating, “The situation is that we have spoken with the sporting directors and there is an interest for him from other clubs. So let’s see how this develops. But hopefully, it finishes in the best possible way for all parties.”
Striker Nicolas Jackson, who spent the previous season on loan at Bayern Munich, is expected to join Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Asia. Alonso mentioned, “I look forward to starting with Nico at that time.”
Alonso also outlined that European qualification is among the targets for the upcoming season. He emphasized the importance of a clear playing philosophy to achieve this goal, stating, “For sure that’s a goal. But to reach that goal, you need to do many right things and to be part of that process, how do we want to play, how we want to see ourselves, how we want to approach a game wherever we go.”
He added, “That’s my job. That’s why I am really looking forward to having the whole squad. At the moment, we have some bids, but it’s early days so far. But for sure, we want to be there and time will tell. But we are ambitious and we in Chelsea need to share that energy, that ambition, as well as that hunger to want to have success.”
Alonso was appointed Chelsea manager in May after leaving Real Madrid earlier this year.
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Source: skysports.com
