Xabi Alonso declined to confirm Chelsea’s reported interest in veterans Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson after his first match in charge, a 6-4 pre-season friendly win against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday. The new manager emphasised the need for a squad with “proper balance” amid a flurry of transfer speculation.
Alonso on squad building
“I’m sure that from today to the last day of the transfer [window] there will be a lot of links, a lot of rumours, so to be commenting on all of them, it’s going to be a hard task,” Alonso said. “But for sure, we need proper balance in terms of qualities, in terms of positions, in terms of balance. We want to have a complete squad and we want to make a good team.”
Chelsea are understood to be in talks over a surprise move for Brighton’s 35-year-old striker Welbeck, while the club is also reportedly interested in Brentford’s 36-year-old midfielder Henderson. The links mark a shift in Chelsea’s transfer strategy under Alonso, who is seeking more experienced players rather than solely targeting young talents on long-term deals.
Youth and stars shine in Sydney
Alonso fielded a youthful starting lineup at the Accor Stadium in Homebush, with Liam Delap and Tosin Adarabioyo as the most experienced players. He waited until the 63rd minute to introduce stars like Cole Palmer and João Pedro. The Brazilian forward, who missed out on a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, scored a hat-trick in nine minutes to turn the game around.
“Very hungry. João is really, really determined to have a great season,” Alonso said of João Pedro. “He wants to, after a great last year, when he scored many goals. He wants to keep scoring more and more.”
Seventeen-year-old triallist Dastan Satpayev opened the scoring after six minutes, finishing a pass from fellow teenager Ryan Kavuma-McQueen. The Kazakh forward is yet to sign officially with Chelsea.
Defensive struggles and comeback
Chelsea’s back four struggled in the first half against a lively Wanderers frontline. Brandon Borrello and Anthony Pantazopoulos won headers from a corner, with Pantazopoulos scoring at the back post. Aydan Hammond gave the home side the lead before Dário Essugo equalised. Landon Emenalo’s clearance deflected to Dylan Scicluna, who put Western Sydney 3-2 ahead. Alonso’s substitutes then took control: João Pedro set up Jamie Gittins for 3-3, but Estêvão Willian’s error allowed Awan Lual to make it 4-3. João Pedro scored twice in five minutes and scrambled home from a corner to complete his hat-trick and seal a 6-4 victory.
The game mirrored the scoreline of England’s World Cup third-place playoff against France. João Pedro’s performance contrasted with Liam Delap’s frustrating evening; the 23-year-old, linked with a move away, went close twice but failed to score. Alonso said of Delap: “I see him in a good mood, in a good desire to get proper fitness, proper football, feeling good and he’s doing great.”
