Chelsea endured a disappointing 2025/26 season, finishing tenth in the Premier League. The campaign had started with such promise, winning the Club World Cup in style, beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 under the tutelage of Enzo Maresca. The season started well, but was soon derailed following the exit of Maresca, who is now the manager of Premier League rivals Manchester City.
Ahead of the 2026/27 season, Chelsea’s new manager Xabi Alonso is quickly putting his stamp on the squad, with players arriving and leaving. According to Sam Wallace at The Telegraph, Chelsea are the favourites to sign Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup star Kerim Alajbegovic.
Chelsea Target Big Improvements for 2026/27 Season
Chelsea Favourites to Sign Kerim Alajbegovic
Chelsea will be determined to improve on a disastrous 2025/26 season. They have no European football this season, so it feels like a huge opportunity for Xabi Alonso to build something special at Stamford Bridge. The West London club have already made a splash in this transfer window by signing Morgan Rogers and Marco Palestra. The deal to sign Geovany Quenda was completed last year, but he joins up with the Chelsea squad ahead of the new season after finishing his final season with Sporting CP.
Alejandro Garnacho has joined Aston Villa on loan from Chelsea with an obligation to buy, which has been reported widely as easily achievable. The Blues have been heavily linked with various players, but the report of them being favourites to sign Alajbegovic is an interesting one, with the teenager reported to be valued at £30 million by his parent club Bayer Leverkusen after dazzling on loan at Red Bull Salzburg.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic Praises Alajbegovic
One of the more difficult ex-football players to gain praise from is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, while covering the 2026 World Cup, the former Swedish star was full of praise for Alajbegovic for not just his goal against Qatar, but his overall play:
“Everybody is talking about the goal, but for me the goal is not the biggest thing. The biggest thing is the courage,” said Ibrahimovic on Fox Sports.
“An 18-year-old in the World Cup, under pressure, with millions watching, and he plays like he owns the stadium. That is rare,” said Ibrahimovic.
Read More: Projected Chelsea Squad for 26/27 as of July 22
“Many young players have talent. Talent is everywhere. But talent without personality means nothing. When I watched Kerim, I did not see a young player hoping to have a good game. I saw a player who believed he was the best player on the pitch.
“The finish was beautiful, yes. The technique was perfect, yes. But what impressed me was the confidence before the goal. The way he demanded the ball, the way he attacked the moment. Great players do not wait for opportunities. They create them,” added the Swedish legend.
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IMAGO / Focus Images
