Xabi Alonso is looking to send off his top player to make an amazing Chelsea comeback happen.
Xabi Alonso is excited about the idea of bringing a former Bayer Leverkusen star to Chelsea, just one year after the player joined another Premier League team.
The Chelsea boss is known to be interested in Florian Wirtz, who played under Alonso in Germany’s Bundesliga and moved to Liverpool, Alonso’s old club, last summer.
Wirtz, a German international, cost Liverpool around £100 million when he transferred to Anfield. However, his first season in the Premier League didn’t go as planned.
The talented attacking midfielder was a big signing for Liverpool, but he only started 27 league games under former manager Arne Slot. Overall, Wirtz made 8 goal contributions in 33 league appearances, which was a drop from his previous two seasons in the Bundesliga where he scored and assisted over 10 times each.
At just 23 years old, Wirtz was a key player for Alonso during their amazing 2023-24 season at Leverkusen. They won the Bundesliga without losing a match, also took the DFB-Pokal, and reached the Europa League final. Wirtz’s role was a big part of that success, and now Alonso reportedly wants to bring him to Chelsea.
Reports say a move like this could only happen if Chelsea manage to sell one of their top players, World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez, for a big fee.
According to Football Insider, Chelsea are watching Wirtz closely, but any transfer would depend on Fernandez leaving. Fernandez is linked with a move to Real Madrid after saying earlier this year that he might leave Stamford Bridge.
Alonso and Wirtz have a strong bond from their successful time together at Bayer Leverkusen, especially during that incredible 2023-24 season. But since signing Wirtz would rely on selling Fernandez, this deal might be tough to make happen this summer.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, now at Real Madrid, is reportedly interested in signing Fernandez along with Marc Cucurella for the Bernabeu.
When players move for big money, their transfer fees shouldn’t be held against them, but Wirtz, who seemed like a great fit tactically for Liverpool, didn’t have the best first season.
Now playing for Germany at the 2026 World Cup, the midfielder took some time to shine and couldn’t help Liverpool defend their title. He started 40 of 49 games in all competitions, scoring seven goals and helping with eight assists. Unfortunately, Liverpool finished a distant fifth in the league and were knocked out in the Champions League quarter-finals.