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XABI ALONSO'S Chelsea SUMMER TRANSFER TARGETS RANKED In this Chelsea tier list video, I Rank 30 Chelsea summer transfer targets. From Goalkeepers to strikers, I go through with 30 different players that Chelsea have been linked with to say whether Chelsea should sign them this summer or not. You guys enjoyed the last Chelsea tier list video ranking the current 25/26 Chelsea squad for who should stay/go this summer, so now i've done it for Chelsea summer transfer targets! Let me know your dream Chelsea transfer targets in the comments!

KROUPI IS TOP Chelsea TARGET? | THIAGO SILVA TO JOIN XABI ALONSO? Chelsea news today see's us discuss the first Chelsea 'Here we go' of the summer with Valentin Barco being confirmed as the first Chelsea new Signing of the Xabi Alonso Chelsea era. Chelsea are also linked to Bournemouth teenage forward Junior Kroupi who has exploded at Bournemouth this season. In other Chelsea news, Thiago Silva has reportedly been offered a coaching role at Chelsea if he decides to retire this summer.

roflmaooooooo

Exclusive: Sandro Tonali at centre of Arsenal & Man City transfer battle but wildcard options could emerge https://www.caughtoffside.com/2026/05/22/sandro-tonali-transfer-arsenal-man-utd-city-Chelsea/ So much has been written about the Sandro Tonali transfer saga since January that it can be hard to keep up, but I’ve done my best to gather the latest information on his future. As has been widely reported, Tonali sees his future away from Newcastle United this summer, with his agent already fielding interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City. Having consulted sources with ties to the agents industry, I’m reliably told that initial exploratory talks have been held between Arsenal, Man City, and those close to the player. Manchester United and Chelsea also have Tonali on their lists for this summer, while I’m also told that Jose Mourinho’s imminent arrival at Real Madrid could see them join the race for the Italy international’s signature. Sandro Tonali transfer not advancing…yet However, for now the main message is that nothing is advancing with Tonali. This could change, of course, as there’s plenty of interest there, but one issue is that the player’s genuine preference is for a return to Serie A. “Tonali is on the list of pretty much every top club,” one source explained. “He really wants to go back to Italy, though, so we’ll have to see if any club feel the deal is affordable.” Despite links with Juventus, I’m not aware of anything concrete happening there at the moment, with Tonali’s high wages a significant issue for Serie A clubs. Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a to your favourites list for news you can trust It could be that the 26-year-old will decide he’s willing to take a pay cut to head back to his home country, but for now it’s very hard to make predictions like this, with a move to another Premier League club or a European giant like Real Madrid looking the safer bet. Newcastle don’t want to sell Tonali Obviously the other thing to consider here is that Newcastle sources insist they don’t want to sell Tonali and there are no plans to do so. But of course we know that football doesn’t always work like that, and that even though the Magpies played hardball over Alexander Isak last summer, he did eventually end up leaving in a mega-money move to Liverpool. Tonali will not be short of offers to make the step up to playing in the Champions League, so we’ll have to see if anyone can come in with the kind of money to test Newcastle’s resolve.

ENZO FERNANDEZ IS LEAVING? | MORGAN ROGERS TO Chelsea? | ACHEAMPONG EXIT? In today's second Chelsea news video, I go into the discussions and talks that Enzo Fernandez might be playing his last game for Chelsea this weekend. Losing Enzo Fernandez would be a HUGE loss for Chelsea Football Club and replacing his goals and assists would be very difficult. Will Xabi Alonso be a big factor in Enzo Fernandez staying or is the writing on the wall that Fernandez will leave this summer? Due to Chelsea missing Champions league football and also the clubs financial situation, this seems like an inevitability in my opinion... Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Chelsea https://thedailybriefing.io/i/198841939/Chelsea Morgan Rogers can leave Aston Villa for just £80m this summer, sparking interest from Chelsea and other top clubs. (Ben Jacobs) Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign 21-year-old Argentine midfielder Valentin Barco from fellow BlueCo club Strasbourg. (Fabrizio Romano) Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez is a target for Manchester City and there have been initial talks over this potential transfer deal. (Florian Plettenberg) Liam Delap is unlikely to stay at Chelsea this summer once Xabi Alonso comes in as manager, with Everton tipped as his most likely next destination. (Football Insider)

YILDIZ OR LEAO TO Chelsea? | PEDRO WANTS BARCA | PALMER OUT? In todays Chelsea news video, we discuss the potential of a new Chelsea winger this summer with rumours circulating that Pedro Neto and Garnacho could both leave Chelsea this summer. Kenan Yildiz and Rafael Leao are linked with Chelsea and Premier League moves. Joao Pedro is also interested in a move to Barcelona meanwhile Enzo Fernandez exit from Chelsea remains possible this summer transfer window.

Inside Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City exit and their move for Enzo Maresca https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7295673/2026/05/23/inside-pep-guardiolas-manchester-city-exit-and-their-move-for-enzo-maresca/ Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge ended at Bournemouth on Tuesday and the expectation was Pep Guardiola would soon confirm the inevitable, that he will be leaving at the end of the season. Then the days ticked by. Media reports on Monday night had shattered the public illusion that Guardiola was going nowhere — for months he had uttered the words, “I have a contract”, his version of saying he was staying, and on several occasions he talked about plans for next season — but as the days went on, City fans hoped that he would be staying after all, that the stories were false. By Thursday night, Guardiola still had not told his players and staff members of his plans, but everything changed on Friday morning. Official confirmation that his decade in Manchester is coming to an end arrived at the slightly unusual time of 11:10. It took the form of a three-minute video, which he narrated. Talking about subjects from City’s style of play to the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, he closed with a correction to Tony Walsh’s famous poem, “This is the Place”. “I’m sorry Tony,” he said. “This is my place.” He wrote the script himself. Guardiola had shown the video to the players before it was released to the public. He then had lunch with all members of first-team staff. He talked about what Manchester meant to him and there were tears, both from the manager and others. Behind the scenes, he had long planned to leave the club this summer. City had conducted a detailed search for a successor last year and, as revealed by The Athletic this week, the chosen replacement, Enzo Maresca, has already started working with director of football Hugo Viana on plans for the summer and beyond. Guardiola is considered hard to read even by those who know him, and at times it has felt obvious from his public comments that he is leaving, yet at other times he has appeared to speak sincerely about preparing the team for the 2026-27 campaign. In reality, he had planned months ago that this would be his final season at City. “It’s time,” he said in a press conference on Friday. “It’s not wake up and say, ‘Now is the time to leave’ — it is a process that I felt for a while.” In the summer of 2024, he had decided to leave in 2025, alongside director of football Txiki Begiristain. It was a shock, therefore, when he signed a new contract in November 2024, not least because he had not even told his staff he was going to sign it. It was an even bigger shock that he signed a two-year deal, but Guardiola had a strong idea even then that he would in fact only do one, taking him to this summer. In the past couple of months, he decided to stick with that idea. It was always possible Guardiola would change his mind again and City were hopeful the manager would confirm his plans. Sources familiar with the matter — like others referenced in this article speaking anonymously to protect relationships — suggest the pursuit of Maresca accelerated around then. Speaking about the planning involved in replacing him, Guardiola said on Friday: “Always the club respected me unbelievably, with the decision, of course the club has to be ready.” Guardiola may have had said he needed to hold a final conversation with his chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, to draw a line underneath his time at the club, but the outcome was already settled, no matter how much fans had hoped for a U-turn, because his exit has been thoroughly planned across various different departments of the club. Discussions were held about naming the redeveloped North Stand ‘The Pep Guardiola Stand’, with official confirmation coming soon after the club announced his departure. A statue has been commissioned, too, something Guardiola found out about on Friday morning via a call from Al Mubarak. In late 2025, City began to consider the potential candidates who could replace Guardiola, taking in various factors, including their style of play and personality. The club deny drawing up a shortlist. Multiple sources have told The Athletic Xabi Alonso, the Real Madrid manager at the time, was one of the names mentioned. City already had Maresca at the front of their minds due to his history with the club and things stayed that way. The Italian had been recommended to Begiristain by former City manager Manuel Pellegrini years ago, leading Begiristain to recommend him to the club’s academy as somebody they should interview for the role of under-23s coach. Pep Guardiola and Enzo Maresca enjoy a good relationshipMichael Regan/Getty Images Academy staff were blown away by his preparation, including endless folders on his laptop containing tactical research on teams across the world. He was hired, and his job working with City’s most talented youngsters, including Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and James McAtee, meant Begiristain considered him a potential option either to work alongside, or replace, Guardiola one day. Notable former club figures had long planned to attend Sunday’s final game against Aston Villa, knowing it would be Guardiola’s swansong. The official announcement came with the news that he will take up a role as global ambassador across the City Football Group. The City boss had thought hard about his own goodbye; as well as writing and performing the words for the announcement video, he initially suggested he would like a farewell event during the summer. It was felt, though, that things will have moved on, that the new manager will be in place, and that capitalising on the end-of-season emotion would be best. The event at Co-Op Live on Monday, billed before confirmation of his departure as a chance to celebrate the men’s domestic cup double and the Women’s Super League title, was always about ensuring Guardiola could enjoy a proper, special send-off after a bus parade around the city. His recent visit to Stockport County also appeared to be related to a potential exit; he is friends with the club’s owner, Mark Stott, who owns the building Guardiola lives in, and figures at the League One side were under the impression the City boss was fulfilling an old promise to attend a match before he left England. In the days after the game, whispers coming out of Stockport suggested Guardiola was going at the end of the season. Last week, there were rumours Guardiola had had a change of heart, and that he wanted to stay after all. He had apparently asked Bernardo Silva to stay with him for one more year, though the midfielder says he was being asked that question throughout the campaign. Those who spent time with Guardiola last week insisted they had not noticed any change in his demeanour and still expected him to go. After the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday, at least two people close to him felt the Catalan was speaking in a way that suggested his time at City was coming to an end. There were more public clues at Wembley, for example the way he waited on the pitch to take pictures with backroom staff and others in his setup, some of whom looked shocked to be asked. But there were no exaggerated waves in front of the fans, the kind that everybody understands as a goodbye. At Bournemouth on Tuesday, there were even fewer signs, as he simply walked over to the away end, clapped briefly, and headed back towards the tunnel. He sat and faced the press afterwards and talked, again, about preparing the team for next season. Pushed on his future, he said he would speak to his chairman to see, among other things, if he would stay or not. It gave fans hope that the matter was not settled, and that is the impression Guardiola had wanted to give all along. “Always, I said that fighting for the titles or qualifications or Premier Leagues or FA Cups, the reason you don’t go, in that first moment there is a problem, the players don’t follow you anymore,” he said, explaining that he had not wanted to announce anything and impact City’s push for trophies. Pep Guardiola had been sticking to the mantra that he had another year left on his contractAlex Pantling/Getty Images He has not wanted to let it slip but he has been speaking like a man who is leaving for months. It was not long into the New Year, shortly after Maresca had left Chelsea, in fact, when he broke the habit of a lifetime and started turning on referees in public. He has been shouting in their faces for years, but has never wanted to look like he is making excuses by blaming them in press conferences. That changed with an outburst at Newcastle United following a win in the Carabao Cup, and since then he has made plenty of jibes. He has also started bringing up long-forgotten controversies, and indeed incidents that never seemed controversial in the first place, like an N’Golo Kante challenge on Ilkay Gundogan from 2016, that nobody other than him noticed at the time. He has spoken nostalgically, as if looking back on his time, about turning up to FA Cup away games against lower-league teams and missing stadiums like Goodison Park and Craven Cottage. When it comes to succession planning, City have always favoured candidates they are familiar with. Had Guardiola left City years ago, Patrick Vieira, another former U23 boss, and Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s former assistant, would have been in the frame. Some figures at City were also admirers of Ange Postecoglou due to his work with City Football Group-affiliated club Yokohama F Marinos in Japan. Interest in Maresca should come as no surprise. While many of the influential figures he had worked with previously have left the club, such as Begiristain and, to a lesser extent, academy director Jason Wilcox, recommendations had been passed on to Viana. Guardiola himself was obviously a big factor, considering their time working together during the 2022-23 season, when City won the Treble. City reached out to Maresca at the end of last year, and due to the terms of the Italian’s contract at Chelsea, he informed his employers about the talk. Things appeared to go downhill quickly and soon afterwards they parted ways. Chelsea were, and still are, furious about how things played out. Sources at the club say it was Maresca’s decision to leave, even though his contract still had a minimum of three and a half years left to run. Sources close to Maresca suggest he told the club he was happy to stay and agree a new deal when informing them of Manchester City’s approach. No such discussions took place. From Chelsea’s point of view, they felt it was premature to discuss fresh terms so soon after signing a long-term agreement the year before when hiring the Italian from Leicester City. The London club had wanted to avoid making a managerial change halfway through a season, as they had done with Thomas Tuchel in 2022 and Graham Potter a year later. The plan was always to review everything about Chelsea, including Maresca, at the end of his second year in charge. Chelsea turned to Liam Rosenior, who was in charge of Strasbourg, in early January as Maresca’s replacement but his reign lasted just 107 days. The disruption caused by Maresca’s departure is regarded internally as a key factor in why results deteriorated and they failed to qualify for the Champions League via a top-five finish in the Premier League. Multiple sources say issues between the club and Maresca grew after he guided Chelsea to the Club World Cup. For example, Maresca made his desire for the club to sign a centre-back public last August after Levi Colwill was ruled out for several months with a serious knee injury. It caused tension on both sides and that lingered for several weeks after the season started. One Chelsea insider spoke about how they noticed a change in Maresca’s personality after winning the FIFA tournament that summer. People close to Maresca insist he remained the same and was just happy to see the work put in achieve success. Since leaving Chelsea and in preparation for moving to City, Maresca appears to have been on a mission to absorb as much information from as many different fields as possible. The search of inspiration is Guardiola-like. He read the book Football and Chess, by Adam Wells, while on holiday in the Maldives and has spoken to Italian sporting legend Julio Velasco, the man who made the Italy men’s volleyball team world champions in the 1990s and the women’s team Olympic gold medallists in 2024. Enzo Maresca has been out of work since leaving ChelseaMattia Guolo/SPORTWEEK/Fashion Director/Styling: Gianluca Zappoli He has also spent time with Ettore Messina, Italy’s most successful basketball coach, who has worked at the San Antonio Spurs, and Nicolo Govoni, an activist behind humanitarian project Still I Rise, aimed at getting impoverished kids into school. At a recent awards dinner in Italy, he was asked about his time working with Guardiola: “First of all, he taught me the methodology, how to put it into practice because you can imagine he does things, but you then have to understand how he does them; working with him, I was lucky enough to see how to approach certain tasks. “One thing that doesn’t often get remarked upon is his work ethic: when you hear people say he arrives at seven in the morning and leaves at seven at night, and is the last to turn out the lights at the office — that’s Pep through and through. So his work ethic is one of the most wonderful things and it demonstrates the passion he has for his job.” Over the past few months, it had become common, and also understandable, for City fans to grow frustrated with media reports about Guardiola’s future, with the manager insisting he had one year left on his contract, and only ever hinting through body language and nostalgic comments that he was planning to leave. But this has been a change a long time in the making. Sam Lee is the Manchester City correspondent for The Athletic. The 2024-25 campaign will be his 10th following the club, having previously held other positions with Goal and the BBC, and freelancing in South America.

XABI ALONSO CAN’T FIX THIS ALONE… Xabi Alonso is set to begin a new era at Chelsea — but can he really fix everything on his own? In today’s video, I’m joined by Matisse to discuss Chelsea’s huge summer ahead, the excitement around Xabi Alonso, the squad problems that still need solving, and why BlueCo cannot afford to waste this appointment. We break down the players Chelsea must keep, the players who should leave, the future of Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, João Pedro, Moisés Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and more — plus the bigger questions around Chelsea’s ownership, recruitment strategy and whether this club can realistically challenge again next season.

ALONSO SPEAKS ON PEDRO EXIT | Chelsea WANT KROUPI! | CUCURELLA SOLD? Chelsea news today see's us discuss the Xabi Alonso street interview in Spain. He was asked on the future's of Joao Pedro, Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella! Cucurella is wanted by Atletico Madrid meanwhile Joao Pedro is the top transfer target for Barcelona this summer. In other Chelsea news, Chelsea are interested in signing Junior Kroupi from Bournemouth who has impressed this season for Bournemouth!

fabrizio knows nothing

City still have Anderson as their main option

Won't stop them from trying to spin this as a smart plan to raise money. I don't think Havertz/Mount/Madueke were no longer needed. Competition in the squad is how you're gonna be able to raise the floor.

It does look pretty obvious that the club would lean towards an overseas move if Real Madrid actually come in for him. If they want him, he’ll probably end up there. At the same time, it’s also pretty straightforward: if City are willing to pay the full fee Chelsea want, that’s usually going to be very hard to ignore, especially if Madrid aren’t matching it. But if Madrid don’t step in at all and City come in with the money Chelsea are asking for, I don’t really see any reason why they wouldn’t accept it.

XABI ALONSO'S BRUTAL Chelsea 26/27 SQUAD REVIEW Xabi Alonso becomes Chelsea New manager in July and this summer is KEY when it comes to building the best Chelsea squad possible for the 26/27 season. Chelsea's recruitment has been poor. Arsenal are Premier League Champions. Hiring Xabi Alonso is just the start of a huge revamp thats needed internally at Chelsea Football Club this summer. Who should Chelsea sell? Who should Xabi Alonso insist on keeping at Chelsea next season? In this Chelsea tier list, I break it all down.

XABI ALONSO'S FIRST Chelsea SIGNINGS | OSIMHEN LINKED AGAIN? In this Chelsea video, we look into Xabi Alonso's first transfer window as Chelsea manager. Which positions do Chelsea need to strengthen in this summer? Will we see widespread changes to the Chelsea squad. We've had the first rumor of Osimhen to Chelsea, however I expect Chelsea to go more down the route of Igor Thiago or different attackers. ‪@ConnorHolden00‬ and I break down the defender options, midfield, wing and striker targets that would fir Xabi Alonso's style at Chelsea for the upcoming summer transfer window!

I agree, but then sell him abroad if you have to. Unless City are offering us every pound we paid for him whilst Madrid won’t go close to that fee it just doesn’t sit well with me.

City don’t feel quite as intimidating as they used to either — it’s Maresca in charge now, not Guardiola. That changes the whole context a bit. And I do get the financial side of it as well. Without Champions League football, you’ve got to balance the books and make smart decisions, even if they’re unpopular. Both perspectives make sense. One is about squad identity and leadership, the other is about structure and sustainability. But at the same time, Enzo Fernández isn’t irreplaceable. He’s important, sure, but no single player should be treated as untouchable if the right plan is in place behind the move

How do they sell this to the fanbase if they do it? One of our leaders, best players, and someone huge parts of the fanbase loves. Especially at a time where you're briefing everyone that you want MORE of these kinds of senior leaders? Unless you’ve already got a top class midfielder lined up who has given you the green light that they’re keen to join then you CANNOT sell Enzo to a PL team. It’s one thing when you sell a Havertz/Mount/Madueke/Kovacic etc who we no longer needed to another PL side. But it sends a terrible message when you start selling players who are integral to the team.

Madness if we sell him to Citeh! Might as well get Arse, Pool, and Manure in on the bidding war, ffs! Let's sell all our top players to all the other top EPL sides. Grrrrrrrrrr..

If Alonso allows Enzo to leave then it’s surely because he wants to replace him with a midfielder of a completely different profile. A Xhaka type I would think who plays deep and connects the defense and attack. Santos plays that role well already but for me he isn’t ready to be an every match starter.

If Enzo is going, will be interesting to see how Alonso sets up the midfield for next season. Assuming it'll be Caicedo - Santos as the two mid's and Barco playing as the 3rd mid (on the left).

The numbers are clear – Chelsea missing out on Europe would be perfect for Xabi Alonso https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7297567/2026/05/22/Chelsea-xabi-alonso-europe-analysis/ As the final weekend of the Premier League season approaches, Chelsea are dealing in degrees of consolation. Will it be qualification for the Europa League, another Conference League campaign, or no European football at all next season? Champions League football is gone, but thanks to Tuesday’s win over Tottenham, a bottom-half finish in the Premier League can be ruled out too, barring a huge goal difference swing with Newcastle, Everton or Fulham. The tussle Chelsea now find themselves in is with Brighton and Hove Albion, Brentford and Sunday’s opponents, Sunderland, with several potential outcomes in play: If Chelsea win they finish no lower than eighth (Conference League qualification), but will jump to seventh (Europa League qualification) if Brighton fail to beat Manchester United If Chelsea draw they finish eighth if Brentford fail to beat Liverpool, but they fall to ninth (no European football) if Brentford win If Chelsea lose they fall to ninth below Sunderland regardless of what else happens, and could fall to 10th depending on Brentford’s result According to Opta’s supercomputer, Chelsea’s likeliest finishing position is eighth (39.7 per cent), though they still have a chance of seventh (27.4 per cent). But which outcome should incoming manager Xabi Alonso be rooting for? My colleague Simon Johnson has already done a good job of analysing the pros and cons of Chelsea being in Europe in 2026-27. The data from recent history is very clear: having no continental commitments to clutter his midweeks would be a huge benefit to Alonso next term. Since the start of 2015-16, there have been six instances of traditional ‘Big Six’ clubs (yes, this framing could look ludicrous if Tottenham are relegated this weekend, but in terms of financial resources and squad strength, it remains the best form of comparison to Chelsea) falling out of European competition entirely. It has happened to Chelsea twice and once apiece to Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs. The two Chelsea instances are 2016-17 and 2023-24, which immediately followed their two worst finishes of the Premier League era (10th in 2015-16 and 12th in 2022-23). Antonio Conte won the title in emphatic fashion in 2016-17, racking up 93 points. Mauricio Pochettino missed out on Champions League qualification in 2023-24 and left the following summer, but he still improved the team by six places and 19 points. Conte won the Premier League in 2016-17, when Chelsea were not in EuropeMichael Regan/Getty Images Liverpool jumped from eighth to fourth without European competition in Jurgen Klopp’s first full season as manager in 2016-17. Arsenal jumped from eighth to fifth without European competition under Mikel Arteta in 2021-22. Tottenham did the same under Ange Postecoglou in 2023-24. Manchester United have made the most of a lack of continental distractions this season and sit third under Michael Carrick, 12 places higher than they finished in 2024-25. In all of those six instances, the clubs involved made significant and often huge jumps in both Premier League position and points the following year. On average, the gain for a ‘Big Six’ club in a season without any form of European football is six spots in the table and 19.7 points. The sporting advantages of a season out of continental competition are well established. A more forgiving schedule means less travel, more recovery, and more time to train. But the fact that these seasons tend to follow an annus horribilis also make them the perfect scenario for an incoming coach. Player and supporter morale is generally at its nadir and, on as well as off the pitch, there tends to be plenty of low-hanging fruit to pick that drives immediate improvement — improvement for which the new man in the dugout gets the bulk of the credit. But what if the likeliest outcome happens and Chelsea finish eighth, securing a return to the Conference League? Because of the competition’s relative youth there have only been two instances when ‘Big Six’ clubs have dropped into the Conference League: Tottenham in 2021-22 and Chelsea in 2024-25. Both were still able to meaningfully improve their Premier League position and points tally to secure a Champions League spot: Spurs jumped from seventh to fourth under Conte, while Chelsea rose from sixth to fourth under Maresca. It is easy to understand why. The standard of the Conference League is not high enough to significantly stress a ‘Big Six’ squad or rise up the priority list until the very late stages. Chelsea won the tournament despite not playing anything approaching their strongest XI until the final against Real Betis. Wholesale rotation from weekend to midweek is a viable policy, meaning that, for your Premier League starters, the situation is barely any different from a season out of Europe entirely. This would appear to be a very manageable situation for Alonso if it comes to pass. Europa League participation is a slightly less straightforward case. There have been eight instances of ‘Big Six’ clubs dropping from the Champions League into Europe’s second-tier club competition since the start of 2015-16, yielding mixed Premier League results. Chelsea improved from fifth to third under Maurizio Sarri in 2018-19, while finishing as Europa League winners. Arsenal dropped from fifth to sixth in Arsene Wenger’s final season in 2017-18. United did the same in 2016-17 under Jose Mourinho despite earning three more points than the year before, but also won the Europa League. United then jumped from sixth to third under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019-20 despite not increasing their points tally. They made the same position leap while winning 17 more points under Erik Ten Hag in 2022-23, but then came the Ruben Amorim exception: a catastrophic drop from eighth to 15th in 2024-25, compounded by Europa League final defeat to Spurs. Sarri won the Europa League in 2019Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Tottenham actually fell from sixth to seventh in the Premier League in their season with Europa League football in 2020-21, and Mourinho paid for it with his job the week before the Carabao Cup final. Liverpool jumped from fifth to third under Klopp in 2023-24, improving by 15 points. From the evidence above, it is at least very possible to balance Europa League football with a successful Champions League qualification push, and in some cases even end up with a European trophy to lift at the end of it. Chelsea’s recent history carries no small pressure for Alonso here: they have only competed in the Europa League (in its modern incarnation) twice, in 2012-13 and 2018-19, and won the tournament both times. Alonso will surely back himself to succeed at Stamford Bridge next season, regardless of what happens at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, and the Europa League or Conference League could give him a solid chance of ending his first campaign as Chelsea manager with silverware. But a year out of Europe entirely could be a golden opportunity for him. Liam Twomey Liam is a Staff Writer for The Athletic, covering Chelsea. He previously worked for Goal covering the Premier League before becoming the Chelsea correspondent for ESPN in 2015, witnessing the unravelling of Jose Mourinho, the rise and fall of Antonio Conte, the brilliance of Eden Hazard and the madness of Diego Costa. He has also contributed to The Independent and ITV Sport.