Chelsea FC is entering a new era under manager Xabi Alonso, who has a reputation for rebuilding teams. The team's last season was marked by struggle and regression, with two head coaches and two caretaker spells. Alonso's appointment has brought cautious optimism that this campaign will bring stability. Much of that optimism centres around the young players brought in as part of BlueCo's £1.8bn splurge in recent years. These players are beginning to come into their best years, and Alonso has a more rounded squad at his disposal. Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers bring quality to positions where Chelsea were lacking it – at centre-back and out wide. Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson will contribute as much off the pitch as on it. The signing of Marco Palestra, a specialist wing-back, suggests Alonso wants to be tactically flexible. He has used a back four and a back three in pre-season. Cole Palmer, who has struggled with fitness issues in the past, has had a seven-week break and sought advice from a specialist on his groin injury. He is now excited to link up with Rogers and João Pedro. ## Off-field picture Chelsea FC was fined £10m and received a suspended transfer ban over multiple violations of transfer rules under the ownership of Roman Abramovich. An appeal from the club saved them from a six-point deduction. Chelsea FC were deemed compliant with the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules for the three-year period ending in 2025 despite posting an English record £262.4m pre-tax loss for the 2024-25 season. They have not been cowed by failure to qualify for Europe and have spent over £300m on new signings. For the fourth year in a row, Chelsea FC look likely to start the season without a front-of-shirt sponsor. ## Owner-fan relationship Supporter protests against the ownership of Todd Boehly's BlueCo have been a frequent sight on matchdays, including before May's FA Cup final defeat by Manchester City. There have been reservations about the club's youth-oriented transfer policy from the start and last season's failings prompted the co-owner Behdad Eghbali to admit the need "to add more ready-made players" to the squad. Whether fans were expecting the arrivals of Welbeck and Henderson is another question. The introduction of a ticket ballot system for home games has also been unpopular with regular match-going supporters. ## The manager It was a bit of a coup for Chelsea FC to secure Alonso's services this summer, especially given the Liverpool job was available. The Spaniard has a reputation to rebuild after his dream job at Real Madrid. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 10th in Premier League, 52 pts, 14W-10D-14L from 38 games, recent form LWDLL. Goals this season: 58 scored, 52 conceded (+6 goal difference). Title race: 33 points behind leaders Arsenal.