Xabi Alonso has spoken out to clarify the future of two Argentine stars at Chelsea, Alejandro Garnacho and Enzo Fernandez, in his first press conference as head coach of The Blues.
Notably, the Spanish strategist confirmed that Garnacho is allowed to find a new destination in the 2026 summer transfer window, in the context that this player is receiving attention from many teams.
The situation is that we have talked to the Sports Directors. There are some other clubs interested in him. Let's wait and see how things will turn out, but hopefully everything will end well for all parties" - Alonso said.
Chelsea are said to be ready to part ways with Garnacho just one year after spending 40 million pounds to recruit this player from Manchester United.
In contrast to Garnacho's case, Alonso affirmed that he wants to keep Enzo Fernandez at Stamford Bridge, despite rumors related to Real Madrid.
The 25-year-old midfielder was linked with the Royal Spanish team this summer. However, Real Madrid has never sent an official offer to the World Cup champion.
When asked if he wanted Fernandez to continue to stick with Chelsea, Alonso replied briefly: "Yes".
The former Bayer Leverkusen coach also revealed that he had a private exchange with the Argentine midfielder, but declined to disclose the content: "We talked, but it's a private matter.
Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica for a fee of 106 million pounds in 2023. Since then, he has played 169 matches and scored 31 goals for the London team, including 15 goals last season.
Because he is participating in the 2026 World Cup with the Argentine national team, Fernandez has not yet joined Chelsea. Alonso said the club has planned for the players to return later to ensure fitness after the tournament.
That was a plan from before. The fact that some players are still staying is not a big surprise. I am very happy for them, because they are having an unforgettable experience. Hopefully in the end we will have a champion and we will celebrate. We must be flexible and speed up the preparation process with some players" - the Chelsea captain shared.
In addition to the two cases mentioned above, Chelsea is also seriously considering Liam Delap's future in this summer transfer window. According to British media, the 23-year-old striker is on the list of players who may leave Stamford Bridge when the team rebuilds the attack.
Joining Chelsea from Ipswich Town for a fee of 30 million pounds in June 2025, Delap was once expected to develop into the top scorer of English football.
However, his first season at Stamford Bridge did not go as expected. After a promising start, Delap suffered a hamstring injury right in his third Premier League match and had to be sidelined for a long time, causing the development momentum to be interrupted.
