Xabi Alonso Names Five Untouchables at Chelsea, One a Surprise Inclusion

New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has swiftly begun to outline his plans for the squad, identifying five players as untouchable, according to Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. Club captain Reece James, along with vice-captains Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, as well as Marc Cucurella and, surprisingly, Tosin Adarabioyo, have been deemed non-transferable in discussions between the Spaniard and the London club's hierarchy. Alonso intends to build his team for the upcoming campaign around these five players. He has also reportedly received assurances from the board that he will be granted significantly more responsibility and influence over the club's transfer policy, a stark contrast to previous managers who primarily functioned as coaches.

The appointment of the former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid coach was announced a few days ago, with him set to take charge of Chelsea from the summer. Currently, the 'Blues' are led by interim manager Callum Macfarlane, following the dismissals of two permanent managers, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rossinier, earlier this season.