Chelsea transfer agreement after Granit Xhaka offer and Xabi Alonso first signing completed

Chelsea have moved swiftly in the summer transfer window under Xabi Alonso's management, with the club's sporting leadership actively working to build a competitive squad. Sources close to Chelsea confirm the club has "pushed hard" to secure a player from Atalanta, fending off competition from Inter Milan for the 21-year-old's signature as Alonso's first signing at the club.

The west London side continues to pursue multiple targets across the pitch. Chelsea retain an interest in Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka, with football.london understanding that "Chelsea are preparing a new-and-improved bid for the midfielder." This follows an initial offer that Sunderland rejected, with sources close to the Stadium of Light reporting the club is "furious with how low the west London club's opening bid was." Sunderland has insisted that "Xhaka is not for sale this summer," though Chelsea remain committed to the pursuit.

Additional recruitment activity includes negotiations for left back Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallecano to add depth to the position following departures. Chelsea have opened talks with Crystal Palace for France international defender Maxence Lacroix, though discussions have "gone fairly quiet ever since," leaving some supporters concerned about progress on that front.

Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge. His agent Javier Pastore has confirmed that Fernandez "wants to leave Chelsea," with Real Madrid the primary target. The Blues signed the Argentina international from Benfica for 106.7million in 2023 and would "rather keep the 25-year-old midfielder but they won't stand in his way if they receive an offer worth 120m." Pastore stated the player is currently "calmly focused on the national team" during the World Cup, but confirmed the club is "looking at possibilities for him to leave Chelsea," with personal terms unlikely to prove problematic.