Xabi Alonso is officially ready as the new manager of Chelsea – and now he could be about to complete a sensational first transfer. The club has reportedly been linked to Liverpool star Florian Wirtz in a report that is causing a stir.
Alonso knows Wirtz very well. He helped develop the German into one of the world’s best attacking midfielders during their time together at Bayer Leverkusen. Wirtz had a big game in the 2023–24 season with 18 goals and 20 assists in 49 games. At that time, Alonso’s Leverkusen went unbeaten throughout the season, secured the club’s first-ever Bundesliga title, won the DFB Cup and reached the final of the Europa League.
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Wirtz was the hub of Alonso’s Leverkusen machinery and was named Bundesliga Player of the Year for his brilliant performances.
Slide: Wirtz in action for Liverpool.
But neither Alonso nor Wirtz have gone quite according to plan since they left the German club.
Alonso was sacked at Real Madrid back in January, while Wirtz – despite his price tag of a staggering £116 million – has failed to live up to expectations since arriving at Liverpool in June last year.
Now Alonso has agreed to take over Chelsea on a four-year contract. And according to Football Insider, the Blues have “set the course” for a big raid for Wirtz.
The future Chelsea manager is still said to be a “big admirer” of Wirtz, and he is “passionate about” BlueCo signing him in a “sensational” transfer coup.
Chelsea are showing “huge interest” in the German superstar – even though he has had a disappointing debut season at Anfield.
In a surprising twist, the report claims that Liverpool “would be open to letting Wirtz go” if the price is right – although the club would “publicly deny it”.
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Wirtz to Chelsea: Very unlikely
Alonso is being touted as the possible “savior” of Wirtz’s Premier League career.
As understandable as it is that the Spaniard wants to reunite with Wirtz at Stamford Bridge, it is very difficult to imagine Liverpool actually selling him after just one season.
Wirtz has had one year to adapt to the demanding English game, and both he and Alexander Isak are expected to flourish side by side next season.
Liverpool will also require at least £100-115 million to release the 23-year-old star – a sum they themselves invested when he arrived. For Chelsea, it would make far more sense to spend that money on a new striker and a centre-back, especially with several other positions that also need reinforcement.
Last week, there were reports that Chelsea have set their sights on a highly sought-after Premier League striker worth £69 million.
