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.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the 2026\/27 season, Chelsea\u2019s new manager Xabi Alonso<\/span><\/a> is quickly putting his stamp on the squad, with players arriving and leaving. According to Sam Wallace<\/span><\/a> at The Telegraph, Chelsea are the favourites to sign Bosnia and Herzegovina\u2019s World Cup star Kerim Alajbegovic.<\/p>\n 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<\/span><\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Alejandro Garnacho<\/a><\/span> 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 \u00a330 million by his parent club Bayer Leverkusen after dazzling on loan at Red Bull Salzburg.<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong>Notable Players to play for Manchester United and Chelsea<\/a><\/p>\n One of the more difficult ex-football players to gain praise from is Zlatan Ibrahimovic<\/span><\/a>. 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:<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody is talking about the goal, but for me the goal is not the biggest thing. The biggest thing is the courage,\u201d said Ibrahimovic on Fox Sports.<\/p>\n \u201cAn 18-year-old in the World Cup, under pressure, with millions watching, and he plays like he owns the stadium. That is rare,\u201d said Ibrahimovic.<\/p>\nChelsea Target Big Improvements for 2026\/27 Season<\/h2>\n
Chelsea Favourites to Sign Kerim Alajbegovic<\/h3>\n
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Praises <\/span>Alajbegovic<\/h3>\n