Alonso Wants Fernandez to Stay at Chelsea

New Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has made it clear that he wants midfielder Enzo Fernandez to remain at the club as he begins his new role at Stamford Bridge.

Alonso was officially introduced as Chelsea manager on Monday and faced questions about the future of the Argentine midfielder, who has attracted interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid. Fernandez, 25, is currently preparing to represent Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals against England.

When asked if he wanted Fernandez to stay at Chelsea, Alonso gave a direct response.

“Yes,” he replied, before adding: “We have spoken. But, as you can understand, what we said will remain private.”

Fernandez has been linked with a possible move away from Chelsea, but Real Madrid recently denied reports that they are planning to sign the midfielder. With no clear alternative destination and Chelsea reportedly placing a £120m valuation on him, Alonso appears determined to keep one of his key players.

The former Real Madrid coach also addressed the future of striker Nicolas Jackson, confirming that the forward will return to the squad after Bayern Munich decided not to make his loan move permanent.

“Nico Jackson is joining the tour in Asia and we are looking forward to him working with us,” Alonso said.

However, winger Alejandro Garnacho has not returned to first-team training. Alonso revealed that there is an agreement for the player to remain away from the squad while he looks for a new club. Italian side Roma are among the teams reportedly interested in signing him.

Alonso’s appointment came after a difficult period for Chelsea, with the club missing out on European football following a final-day defeat against Sunderland. Despite this setback, the new manager believes the team has a strong foundation and is focused on improving the squad.

Midfielder Andrey Santos also completed a move to Manchester United shortly before Alonso’s first media conference. When asked whether the lack of European football would lead to major changes in the squad, Alonso said the situation would only affect small details.

“It changed the small details for sure but the main focus about how we want to start the competition in August, it doesn’t change much,” he said.

“We are aligned with the sporting directors on what we want to reach. The team is good and where we want to reinforce in terms of positions is clear. There are some weeks to go but we are working in a very aligned way – and this is the right way.”

Alonso described becoming Chelsea manager as a great honour, praising the club’s history and ambitions. He said he joined because of the opportunity to build a strong relationship with supporters, players and staff while creating a winning mentality.

“The excitement is the club, the squad and the opportunity, through this ownership, to be at this great club, create a bond with the supporters, win games and be successful,” he said.

The 44-year-old added that qualifying for Europe remains one of Chelsea’s main targets, but achieving that goal will require hard work and consistency.

“For sure, that’s a goal. But to reach that goal you have to do many things right,” Alonso stated.

He also admitted that he is still settling back into England after spending more than a decade working in Spain and Germany. However, his first public appearance as Chelsea manager showed confidence and calmness as he begins the task of rebuilding the team.