Xabi Alonso’s first public act as Chelsea manager was to end the uncertainty swirling around one World Cup winner and effectively usher another towards the exit. Speaking at Stamford Bridge on Monday, the Spaniard confirmed he wants Enzo Fernández to remain at the club and revealed that he has already held private talks with the Argentina midfielder, whose future had been the subject of persistent speculation linking him to Real Madrid. “Yes, we have spoken,” Alonso said, adding that the content of those discussions would stay confidential. The declaration, reported across British, Nigerian and Indonesian outlets, was the clearest signal yet that the 25-year-old, currently preparing for a World Cup semi-final against England, is central to the new project.

Fernández’s position had appeared precarious. Real Madrid denied pursuing a deal last week, yet no alternative destination materialised, leaving Chelsea to maintain a reported £120 million valuation. Viewed from Jakarta, the episode was framed as Alonso moving swiftly to quell rumours and secure a player who has made 169 appearances for the club since arriving from Benfica in 2023. British analysts, however, noted the broader context: Chelsea are attempting to streamline a bloated squad after a 10th-place finish and a campaign that ended without European qualification. Alonso’s insistence on keeping Fernández was therefore read as both a footballing decision and a statement of intent about the standards he expects.

If Fernández represents continuity, Alejandro Garnacho embodies the hard reset. Alonso confirmed the 22-year-old winger has not returned to first-team training, having reached an agreement with the club to stay away while he explores a transfer. “There is interest in him from other clubs. Hopefully it finishes in the best possible way for everyone,” Alonso said. Nigerian and Malaysian reports highlighted that Roma are among the suitors, while Chelsea prefer a permanent sale rather than another loan. Garnacho’s disappointing debut season — a single Premier League goal and omission from Argentina’s World Cup squad — has left him surplus to requirements, and Manchester United stand to benefit from a 10 per cent sell-on clause inserted when he moved to London for £40 million a year ago.

Alonso’s arrival itself was a story of timing. Indonesian media emphasised his explanation for choosing Chelsea over Liverpool, a club where he won the Champions League as a player. “It’s a question of timings,” he said, describing the move as a “good moment, a good opportunity.” He inherits a side that lurched through four mid-season managerial departures in five years, and British commentary was quick to frame the job as cursed, noting that no Chelsea manager has lasted longer than two years since Antonio Conte. Alonso, who lasted only seven months at Real Madrid, acknowledged the pressure but struck an optimistic tone: “I’m confident, I’m optimistic that we can have a great season.”

With the squad set to depart for a pre-season tour of Asia and Australia, Alonso confirmed striker Nicolas Jackson will rejoin the group after Bayern Munich declined to make his loan permanent. The immediate objective is clear: return Chelsea to European competition. The new manager, working alongside five sporting directors, described a collaborative structure he believes can deliver the “right balance and the right decisions.” The first test of that alignment will be how swiftly the Garnacho exit is resolved and whether the Fernández commitment translates into a midfield built to carry the club back up the table.