Wide-ranging changes are anticipated at Chelsea this summer under Xabi Alonso’s leadership, with a number of players possibly making their final outings for the team this Sunday.
Sunday’s match between Chelsea and Sunderland will mark the end of an unimpressive and ultimately dismal season. However, with Xabi Alonso’s hiring, a sincere ray of hope is emerging at Stamford Bridge despite the darkness.
After taking over on July 1, the Spaniard will have the enormous challenge of bringing a winning culture and a tangible identity to a dressing room that has been severely lacking in focus and direction under BlueCo.
Alonso is expected to have more control over hiring than any of his recent predecessors, in addition to receiving a sizable transfer war chest to improve the first team this summer.
Chelsea is consequently anticipated to reduce the team in order to make room for yet another extravagant spending binge. We examine seven stars who may be making their final appearances for the team ahead of Sunday’s championship game.
Fernandez, Enzo
Enzo Fernandez and the ongoing rumors about his future have received a lot of attention. For more than a year, there have been rumors of a huge transfer to Real Madrid. In March, the Argentina midfielder fueled the rumors by publicly expressing his love for the Spanish capital and acknowledging that he would evaluate his future following the World Cup.
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Interest in Fernandez is unlikely to wane anytime soon because Jose Mourinho is anticipated to take over at the Bernabeu this summer. Nevertheless, Chelsea is in a great position to negotiate.
Fernandez’s contract at Stamford Bridge expires in five years, and after paying £106 million to acquire him from Benfica in 2023, Chelsea will most likely require an equally enormous sum before considering a sale.
Although Real Madrid isn’t as wealthy as they once were, Florentino Pérez, the club president, typically signs players he likes.
Cucurella Marc
After a difficult first two seasons in west London, Marc Cucurella has improved dramatically at Chelsea and established himself as one of Europe’s top left backs. Similar to Enzo Fernandez, Chelsea does not intend to sell Cucurella, but increasing interest from Spain may make things more difficult.
The 27-year-old, who spent several years in Barcelona’s academy system, is reportedly a target for the club. The defender later stressed that he was “quite happy” at Chelsea after acknowledging in March that it would be “hard to turn down” an offer to return to the Camp Nou.
The Blues now have a chance to convince Cucurella to stay with Xabi Alonso on board, especially considering the former manager of Bayer Leverkusen’s preference for attacking, high-intensity full-backs. However, rumored interest in re-signing Lewis Hall of Newcastle this summer indicates that preparations for life beyond Cucurella are well under way.
Delap, Liam
Liam Delap has had a difficult season and seems to be the latest victim of Chelsea’s enduring No. 9 curse. The English striker, who signed from Ipswich last summer, has struggled with injuries and has been subordinated to Joao Pedro when healthy.
That may typically be explained as a challenging adjustment and a chance to start over before a fresh campaign.
However, Delap’s return of just two goals in 40 appearances—mostly cameos, but still—has raised wider questions over his long-term role at the club, with a summer departure beginning to look like a realistic possibility.
Xabi Alonso has reportedly been promised three or four ‘ready-made’ first-team signings, one of which is expected to be a center forward. And with Joao Pedro and an additional arrival or two ahead of him in the pecking order, Delap may ultimately be forced to cut his losses and find a new club to resurrect his crumbling career.
Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho’s first season at Chelsea has been a big disappointment. Just one goal in 24 league appearances in a season where competition on the left flank has been less intense than anticipated, with Jamie Gittens spending much of the season sidelined through injury, is a pretty poor return.
Chelsea may already be reassessing things, and given their recent willingness to move players on shortly after signing them—a pattern seen with the likes of Jadon Sancho and Joao Felix—a summer exit isn’t totally out of the question.
Whether there is a strong market for the Argentina international remains uncertain, especially if Chelsea are intent on recouping a significant portion of the £40m they invested in him a year ago. But with Garnacho struggling for form and Blues fans growing increasingly frustrated with his output, a departure might be best for all parties.
Filip Jorgensen
While Filip Jorgensen has been Chelsea’s No. 2 since arriving from Villarreal in 2024, he’s racked up a healthy amount of appearances, featuring 37 times in all competitions. That said, he looks set to be bumped down the goalkeeping pecking order this summer, with the Blues set to reinforce their options between the sticks.
Whether that comes in the form of a high-profile arrival such as Mike Maignan from AC Milan or the integration of highly rated youngster Mike Penders—who has spent the season on loan at Strasbourg—remains to be seen.
Either way, Jorgensen’s long-term future at Stamford Bridge looks uncertain, and he may soon be forced to seek regular minutes elsewhere or risk spending the season as third choice.
Benoit Badiashile
After playing just 13 times in the Premier League since the end of the 2023/24 season, Benoit Badiashile’s Chelsea career looks done and dusted.
The Frenchman still has four years left on his contract, but with the Blues eyeing one or two additions at center back this summer, Badiashile will no doubt be on the chopping block, particularly with youngsters Josh Acheampong and Mamadou Sarr getting the nod ahead of him in recent months.
Marc Guiu
In a season that began with a brief loan spell at Sunderland, Marc Guiu could yet find himself bringing it full circle by wrapping up his Chelsea career with one final appearance at the Stadium of Light.
The former Barcelona youngster has featured only sparingly for the Blues, even amid their well-documented injury issues in attack. And while his long-term potential remains an open question, it already feels increasingly unlikely that his future lies in west London.
