Chelsea weigh futures of five strikers ahead of Alonso era
Chelsea face significant decisions over their forward options this summer, with five strikers in the squad once Nicolas Jackson returns from Bayern Munich and Marc Guiu expected to leave in some capacity.
According to The Athletic’s Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey, Chelsea have five senior strikers on the books once Jackson returns from his loan at Bayern Munich. That is too many for Xabi Alonso to work with, particularly as the club also plan to add another versatile attacker.
Joao Pedro, who scored 20 goals last season, is on the club’s not-for-sale list and is assured of his place in the squad. The decisions over the rest of the group are less clear, although Guiu’s future appears to be the most settled.
Guiu’s exit leads a wider striker shake-up
Guiu, who joined from Barcelona for £5million in 2024, is expected to leave Stamford Bridge in some capacity. Chelsea intend either to loan him out or accept a permanent offer, and a buy-back clause could feature in any transfer negotiation because of how highly the club rate the 20-year-old.
He was loaned to Sunderland last summer but recalled at the end of the summer window after Jackson secured his move to Bayern and Liam Delap was injured. Guiu made 13 appearances for Chelsea in 2025-26, including five starts, scoring twice. He needs regular first-team football to build rhythm and continue his development.
There is interest in Guiu from clubs in England and abroad. A loan could help him build his value while also giving him the opportunity to develop into a contender for a Chelsea place, while a permanent transfer would allow the club to make a profit on their £5million investment.
Jackson’s situation is more nuanced. He fell short of the 40 starts needed to trigger Bayern’s £56.3million conditional obligation to buy him, but scored eight goals in 23 appearances and earned a Bundesliga winner’s medal. Twomey believes Chelsea should keep him, pointing to the value of his pressing, off-ball running and link-up play if he is prepared to accept a squad role. Alonso is expected to take a closer look at Jackson in pre-season.
Delap is viewed differently. Signed for £30million from Ipswich Town in June 2025, his debut season was disrupted by a hamstring injury and a red card at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he scored twice in all competitions. Johnson’s verdict is that Chelsea should sell, with clubs still expected to be interested in the 23-year-old despite his difficult campaign.
Emmanuel Emegha completes the picture. Signed from Strasbourg last September as a potential long-term successor to Jackson, he made only 10 Ligue 1 appearances last season because of hamstring and thigh injuries, scoring four times. Twomey suggests that a loan with a recall clause could suit both player and club, given the competition for places and Emegha’s need for regular football.
What happens next
Guiu is due to begin pre-season training at Chelsea next week, though it remains to be seen whether he will travel on the club’s tour of Australia and south-east Asia given the intention for him to play elsewhere in 2026-27.
His departure has not been finalised, but Chelsea’s preference for either a loan or a permanent move is clear. A productive spell away from the club could increase Guiu’s future transfer value or help him compete for a place at Chelsea.
