Chelsea
Alonso Signals Ambition and Alignment After Permanent Chelsea Appointment
Alonso set three objectives after his Chelsea appointment and will officially begin on July 1, 2026.
Xabi Alonso has been confirmed as Chelsea manager on a four-year contract and immediately set out his priorities for the role. His arrival follows a turbulent period at Stamford Bridge that saw interim boss Calum McFarlane oversee Saturday’s FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
The club had gone through several changes of leadership in recent months. Liam Rosenior lasted 106 days before being sacked in April. Enzo Maresca had earlier won the Conference League and Club World Cup and secured Champions League qualification in his first season with a roster described as devoid of experience, but he parted ways at the turn of the year following a falling out with the club’s upper hierarchy.
Alonso used his first public remarks to stress cohesion between his staff and the club’s decision makers. “From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition,” he told the club’s official website. He added that the objective was to build sustained competitiveness: “We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.”
On the significance of the job he said: “Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football,” Alonso noted, “and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club.”
Although his contract runs for four years, Alonso will not assume day-to-day control until the start of the 2026–27 campaign. He will officially take charge from July 1, 2026 and will oversee preseason preparations ahead of his first competitive season.
Chelsea’s hierarchy will hope Alonso provides stability after a period marked by rapid managerial turnover and midseason departures. His initial statements place emphasis on alignment with ownership and sporting leadership, and on restoring consistent challenge at the highest level.
Chelsea
Chelsea travel to Australia without Emegha, Quenda and Rogers
Chelsea have arrived in Australia without Emegha, Quenda and Rogers, but younger arrivals remain in the squad.
Chelsea have begun their preseason tour in Australia without three summer arrivals, with Emmanuel Emegha, Geovany Quenda and Morgan Rogers all missing from the travelling group.
Emegha and Quenda were both ruled out after minor injuries. Quenda’s absence should be brief, with Simon Johnson reporting that the winger is expected to join up with the squad for the second stage of the tour in Asia. Emegha, by contrast, is expected to spend about three weeks out and will not be back until after the squad returns.
Quenda’s £40 million ($53 million) move from Sporting CP had already been arranged in March 2025. His deal was agreed alongside Dário Essugo, who completed his move last summer.
Chelsea’s squad for the trip includes their goalkeepers Filip Jörgensen, Robert Sánchez, Ted Curd and Teddy Sharman-Lowe. The defensive group features Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aarón Anselmino, Levi Colwill, Calvin Diakite, Landon Emenalo, Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato, Marco Palestra, Mamadou Sarr and Tayo Subuloye. In midfield are Dário Essugo, Roméo Lavia, Madhi Nicoll-Jazuli, Reggie Walsh and Reggie Watson, while the forwards listed are Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Omari Kellyman, Cole Palmer, João Pedro, Dastan Satpeyev and Estêvão.
Rogers is absent for a different reason. The club-record signing is being given time off after his Three Lions World Cup involvement this summer, with FIFA rules requiring players to have at least three weeks’ rest. With England involved until the third-place playoff on July 18, he is not expected at Chelsea’s training ground until early August.
That timeline makes the Aug. 8 friendly against AC Milan likely too soon for him. A first unofficial outing may instead come a week later against Real Sociedad.
Even with several names missing, Chelsea fans will still see some new arrivals in action. Marco Palestra is in the squad, as is Dastan Satpeyev, who does not turn 18 until Aug. 12. The change of manager has given the group a clean slate, and several younger players will hope this becomes their opening to the 2026-27 campaign.
Aston Villa
Chelsea move for MacPhee underlines the value of set-piece expertise
Chelsea are close to appointing Austin MacPhee, a move that strengthens their set-piece department ahead of 2026-27.
Chelsea are reportedly closing in on the appointment of Austin MacPhee, who is expected to join Xabi Alonso’s coaching setup before the 2026-27 season begins.
MacPhee is set to leave Aston Villa after five seasons and step into the set-piece coach role at Chelsea, taking over from Bernardo Cueva. Cueva will remain part of Alonso’s staff, although in a behind-the-scenes capacity.
The move highlights how far the game has shifted. Set-piece coaching is no longer a detail tucked away on a staff chart. In modern soccer, dead-ball situations now carry major weight, with some teams placing them alongside, or even above, open-play structure as a route to goals.
What once passed almost unnoticed is now treated as a core part of club planning. Specialists in this area can shape results, and Chelsea appear to have targeted one of the most respected names in that field.
MacPhee’s work at Aston Villa made the club one of the most dangerous set-piece sides in Europe. His methods were described as innovative, creative and lethal, giving Unai Emery’s attack an added threat from dead-ball situations.
The numbers support that reputation. Villa scored 29 set-piece goals last season, the joint-most in Europe’s top-five leagues alongside Arsenal. Chelsea, by comparison, scored 21.
In a sport where efficiency from set pieces can be decisive, Chelsea are strengthening a department that has become increasingly important across the game.
If MacPhee does arrive, it will be the third separate piece of business between Chelsea and Aston Villa during the summer transfer window. Earlier in the month, Chelsea made attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers the most expensive British player in history, paying a club-record $157.3 million (£117 million) to sign the England international from Villa.
Arsenal
Premier League clubs step up 2026/27 preseason with fixtures spread across the world
Premier League clubs are spread across Europe, Asia and the US in a busy 2026/27 preseason.
With the World Cup having only recently concluded, Premier League clubs are already deep into their 2026/27 preseason programmes. The calendar is tight, the travel is heavy and the purpose is clear: get players ready, test combinations and give new faces a chance to make an early impression.
Arsenal, the reigning champions, are among the later starters. Their first friendly comes on Aug. 1 against Girona in Catalonia, before further meetings with Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund and Como. They will then face Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Aston Villa have already opened with a 5-0 win over Walsall and continue across Europe and Asia, while Bournemouth began with a 4-1 victory against St. Pauli. Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion both have short schedules remaining, with each taking on European opposition in mid-August.
Chelsea’s first run under new manager Xabi Alonso takes them to Australia for matches against Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, before trips through Hong Kong, Jakarta and Malaysia. Their final friendly is against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge.
Elsewhere, Everton have mixed early results and face a demanding route through Scotland, Germany and home soil before meeting Lille. Fulham also have work to do after a behind-closed-doors defeat to Norwich City. Hull City, Ipswich Town and Coventry City all have their own preparations mapped out, while Crystal Palace have already played twice and continue with fixtures in Italy and Germany.
Liverpool’s schedule includes a United States tour against Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds United, followed by Monaco and two games against Como on Aug. 16. Manchester City are taking a lighter approach, starting with Inter in Hong Kong before facing the K-League All-Stars, Atlético Madrid and Arsenal. Manchester United, meanwhile, have already lost to Wrexham and beaten Rosenborg 5-0, with Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and Milan still to come.
Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur also remain busy, with each club using these final weeks to sharpen up before the league begins.
