Xabi Alonso has a plan to play club-record £117m signing Morgan Rogers alongside Cole Palmer — and believes the England international will make an "instant impact" at Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea manager spoke ahead of his first public match in charge, Tuesday's pre-season friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Rogers, 24, became the most expensive British player of all time when he moved from Aston Villa last week. He is currently on holiday after playing for England at the World Cup, yet Alonso insisted he will be ready. "In that position we needed an important player and I'm sure there were not many better options than Morgan Rogers," Alonso said. "You need players who can have that almost instant impact and I'm sure Morgan won't need much time to adapt to the club, the system and his team-mates."
“Alonso plans to pair £117m Morgan Rogers with Cole Palmer amid Chelsea's squad of nearly 40 players.”
The midfielder has signed a six-year contract with an option for a further year. The pair describe each other as among their "best friends in football", with Rogers saying they would love to play together. "I have a plan. I have an idea. I can see them linking really well," Alonso added. "We need to have a good mix. If we get that balance right and those special players in the right positions, with good control, then we will be more competitive with and without the ball."
Chelsea are also expected to announce the £52m signing of France international defender Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace. The 26-year-old would be Chelsea's oldest signing since 2022. The club have already brought in winger Geovany Quenda from Sporting, striker Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg and full-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta, and are expected to sign midfielder Valentin Barco, also from Strasbourg, in the coming weeks. That will leave Chelsea with nearly 40 players in their squad and needing to sell a substantial number.
"We want a squad with the right balance between quality and mentality," Alonso said. "Those things need to match in terms of maturity, but I think we are starting the new season with good energy. That's important." He added: "We need to know that there will probably still be some movement…"
For Tuesday's friendly, Alonso has a 27-man squad featuring available senior players and academy talents like Landon Emenalo and Tayo Subuloye. Cole Palmer is also available after being controversially omitted from England's World Cup squad. The match kicks off at 10.45am UK time, streamed live on Chelsea's dedicated platform CFC+.