Chelsea is ‘interested’ in the newest signing under Xabi Alonso as the team grows to 42 players.
Chelsea are reportedly looking to sign another centre-back this summer, which would bring their first-team squad up to 43 players. The Blues have been very active in the transfer market under new manager Xabi Alonso.
Alonso has more say in player signings than past managers, and he’s focused on bringing in experienced players like Brighton’s Danny Welbeck and Brentford’s Jordan Henderson. Chelsea also made a splash by signing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a British record fee of £117 million. On top of that, they spent £43 million to get Atalanta’s wing-back Marco Palestra.
Rayo Vallecano’s left-back, Pep Chavarria, 28, is expected to become Chelsea’s 42nd squad member once he passes his medical. Chelsea agreed on a £16.3 million deal with the Spanish club for him.
Now, an Italian news outlet, Quotidiano Sportivo, says Chelsea are among the favorites to sign Colombia centre-back Jhon Lucumi from Serie A’s Bologna. The 28-year-old has made over 150 appearances for Bologna since joining in 2022 and is a key player in their defense. He helped them reach the Champions League for the first time in 60 years during the 2023/24 season, and they won the Coppa Italia in 2025 by beating AC Milan.
The report calls Chelsea “very rich and ambitious,” but notes they need to sell players before signing new ones. Juventus are leading the race to sign Lucumi and have even offered some players in a swap deal with Bologna. This is something Chelsea might need to consider as they try to reduce the size of their squad.
Premier League teams can only register 25 senior players, though players under 21 don’t count toward this limit. Chelsea currently have 26 players aged 21 or older, so they’ll have to sell some before buying more, or find a way to keep unwanted players out of the squad.
One player expected to leave soon is Trevoh Chalobah, who looks set to join Como permanently. Meanwhile, Chelsea still have Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi as centre-backs, but both seem to be surplus to Alonso’s plans.
Alonso prefers playing with three defenders and wing-backs in a 3-4-3 formation, which is why he’s bringing in more defenders. Maxence Lacroix joined from Crystal Palace for £52 million after being named in France’s World Cup squad. The two new wing-backs will also compete with Malo Gusto and Reece James, and help replace Marc Cucurella, who left for Real Madrid.
Chelsea also signed Valentin Barco from Strasbourg. Barco usually plays midfield but can also cover at left-back and left wing-back, adding versatility to the squad.