Chelsea's new manager Xabi Alonso has made a decision on Alejandro Garnacho's future: the 21-year-old winger, who joined from Manchester United for £40 million last summer, will be considered surplus to requirements. Meanwhile, the Blues are preparing to put four players up for sale this summer to free up wages and squad places for two or three ready-made signings.
Manager change and rebuild logic after a season low
The 2025/26 campaign has been a disappointing year for Stamford Bridge: Chelsea finished tenth in the Premier League and failed to qualify for any European competition. Last month, after owners BlueCo parted company with Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior in succession, Alonso signed a four-year deal to take charge. Unlike his predecessors' "head coach" title, the Spaniard has been appointed as "manager" and has demanded greater say over transfers — the immediate backdrop to this summer's accelerated squad turnover.
Alonso's thinking is clear: beyond the young talent already at the club, add two or three experienced players who do not need a lengthy adjustment period; to achieve that, some current squad members must leave. In terms of the pace of operations, this is not simply a fire sale but an efficiency trade-off between a limited budget and squad depth.
Four players listed for sale: goalkeeper, centre-back and one forward from a trio
According to the Daily Mail (via Metro), Chelsea are not "actively" shopping Enzo Fernández and Marc Cucurella — despite both having expressed their desire to leave this summer, the club have valued them at £120m and £60m respectively. The player they are genuinely willing to listen to offers for is backup goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, who joined for £20m in the summer of 2024 but has failed to dislodge Robert Sanchez as first choice; the player himself has also indicated he intends to move elsewhere.
Axel Disasi, who joined for £38.5m three years ago, impressed during his loan spell at West Ham; with the Hammers dropping into the Championship, the centre-back will seek a new club. Up front, the club "accepts" that at least one of Marc Guiu, Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson will need to move on — which coincides with Jackson's return from his loan spell at Bayern Munich.
Club data shows Guiu made only two Premier League appearances in the 2025 season, totalling 23 minutes, with a rating of 6.25 and one shot off target; in another competition he scored once in 107 minutes with a rating of 8.0. Cucurella played 90 minutes in international duty with a 94% pass success rate and a rating of 7.2—the technical full-back’s baseline efficiency is still there, but whether the club is willing to compromise between the asking price and buyer interest will decide if he stays.
Jackson’s return and the gamble on Pedro’s season form
The Senegal striker had hoped to secure a permanent move via a loan spell at a Bundesliga heavyweight, but insufficient playing time meant the buy option was not triggered. Reports suggest Alonso wants to reintegrate Jackson, who showed promise at the Blues, but the player needs guarantees of minutes; after João Pedro set the benchmark in the 2025/26 season, such promises are hard to deliver. The “pick one of three” up front is therefore not only a financial issue but a question of tactical priority: who can provide steady vertical thrust and penalty-area presence in Alonso’s system.
Garnacho: the efficiency ledger of high spend, low return
The Garnacho case is even more symbolic: a £40m transfer fee for a return of one goal and four assists in 24 Premier League games. For a coaching staff that emphasises action quality and attacking conversion, the winger’s overall efficiency in ball carrying, final ball and finishing failed to meet the “immediate-impact reinforcement” standard. Listing him as available for sale means Alonso would rather take a short-term book hit than keep a wide berth that does not fit the tactical profile.
From a community and fan perspective, Stamford Bridge (capacity 41,841) will feel this summer like “the familiar rebuild rhythm kicking in again”: young players remain highly rated, but the first team must quickly regain European competitiveness. West Ham’s home, London Stadium (64,472), and Manchester United’s Old Trafford (76,212) are respectively embarking on a new Championship journey and a mid-table Premier League reset—and the futures of Disasi and Garnacho will also fuel transfer talk among the three London/Manchester fan bases.
Standings fallout and what to watch next
Factoring in the matchday 37 and 38 results, Chelsea’s closing stretch showed a “one win, one loss” swing: a 2-1 win on matchday 37 and a 1-2 defeat on matchday 38; West Ham lost 1-3 on matchday 37 and won 3-0 on matchday 38, but could no longer change their relegation fate; United edged a 3-2 win on matchday 37 then collapsed 0-3 on matchday 38—the season-end run for all three clubs contrasts with the urgency of summer sales and signings.
Expert view: Alonso’s “four listed for sale + Garnacho decision” is not an emotional purge but a reverse filter on the squad using clear immediate-impact standards. If Enzo and Cucurella receive bids that meet their asking prices, negotiation windows will remain open; Jorgensen and Disasi are easier deals to complete. The real suspense is up front: whether Jackson will accept a rotation role, and whether Garnacho attracts interest from mid-table Premier League or European clubs.
Fans should watch three storylines: Garnacho’s price tag and potential destinations, who leaves first among Jackson, Guiu and Delap, and whether Alonso can land two or three “ready-now” players before the window shuts. Any deals for Fernández and Cucurella will directly shape Chelsea’s midfield control and left-sided defensive solidity next season—that is also the core storyline of Stamford Bridge’s summer transfer window.
