Chelsea outline 11-man transfer shortlist after Xabi Alonso criticism

Chelsea have reportedly outlined an 11-man centre-back shortlist as they eye additional defensive reinforcements next year.

The Blues bolstered their backline with the signings of Marco Palestra, Pep Chavarria and Maxence Lacroix over the summer, but Xabi Alonso is not yet satisfied with the options at his disposal and it has been widely reported that his side will dip back into the transfer market in 2027.

Chelsea are expected to sanction the permanent sales of Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile when their loan spells away from the club expire next summer, while the long-term future of Wesley Fofana remains uncertain amid his indifferent form over the past 12 months.

Josh Acheampong, Levi Colwill, Jorell Hato, Fofana and Lacroix are currently the five senior centre-backs available to Alonso, but Chelsea have now earmarked 11 possible targets for next year, according to a report from Blues reporter Simon Phillips.

It’s understood that Tomas Araujo, Murillo, Josko Gvardiol, Natan, Ilya Zabarnyi, Jacobo Ramon, Giorgio Scalvini, Riccardo Calafiori, Nnamdi Collins, Koni De Winter and Antonio Rudiger are all on Chelsea’s transfer radar as they begin to formulate their plans for next year.

The Blues are prioritising a deal for Bournemouth star Alex Scott in January, following their failure to sign a replacement for Enzo Fernandez over the summer, while they may look to land a new back-up striker amid Joao Pedro’s recent injury woes.

However, centre-back also remains an area of concern, despite the recent addition of Lacroix, and Chelsea have outlined a lengthy shortlist of possible targets ahead of 2027.

Deals for Gvardiol and Calafiori, in particular, feel incredibly unlikely, while Chelsea may struggle to convince Zabarnyi to leave Paris Saint-Germain unless he is offered a guaranteed spot in Alonso’s preferred starting XI.

However, targets such as Collins, Murillo and Araujo feel slightly more attainable as things stand, with a Bosman deal for Rudiger potentially an option too.

News of Chelsea’s hunt for a new central defender comes after Alonso took aim at Colwill and Fofana for their defending against Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey on Sunday afternoon.

Colwill was hooked at half-time after conceding a penalty for a foul on the Netherlands striker and when asked about the substitution during his post-match press conference, Alonso said: “Yeah I mean, there was a reason... He had a yellow card as well. We didn't want to take risks. And it had been something that we had been working on during the week.”

He added: “Out of almost nothing, he [Brobbey] got a couple of chances. He got the penalty as well, but we have been preparing for that.

“No, [he’s] not unstoppable. He’s stoppable, but when you defend better than we did today. No, not bullied. I would say that it was a situation that we could have defended better.”

Colwill has attracted interest from Barcelona and Liverpool in recent days, but Chelsea are expected to engage in contract extension talks soon, despite Alonso’s criticism of the England international.