Winners and losers of Liam Rosenior to Chelsea

Cameron Smith

6 Jan 2026 10:28 GMT
5 min read

Liam Rosenior has officially been appointed as the new permanent Chelsea manager.

Article continues under the video

The 41-year-old was previously in charge of Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg and the Blues have turned to his services after Enzo Maresca departed west London by mutual consent on 1 January.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through three potential winners and three potential losers from Rosenior’s appointment by Chelsea.

Current ETV

Andrey Santos

M, DM (C)

Chelsea

Andrey Santos

M, DM (C)

Chelsea

ETV Range

€41.7M - €51M

Winner - Andrey Santos

Andrey Santos returned to Chelsea in June following a hugely successful loan stint at Strasbourg, but he struggled to establish himself as a regular starter under Maresca.

The Brazil star has only racked up 486 minutes of action in the Premier League so far this season and it’s clear that he is firmly behind Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the pecking order.

However, the arrival of Rosenior may help Santos massively. The pair worked together at Strasbourg last season and Santos was an integral player under the Englishman, which bodes well for him moving forward.

Loser - Behdad Eghbali / Clearlake Capital

Chelsea are now onto their fifth permanent manager of the Clearlake Capital era and it’s become increasingly apparent that Behdad Eghabli’s strategy is the biggest issue at the club.

The Blues’ player trading model may result in financial gains, but it isn’t conducive to producing a football team that excels on the pitch and it seems as though the Chelsea hierarchy have no intention of building a squad capable of winning the Premier League.

Fans have turned on the owners and Maresca’s exit has created yet more divide between those in charge at Stamford Bridge and the club’s loyal supporters.

© IMAGO - Behdad Eghbali (left) and Todd Boehly (right) are the co-owners of Chelsea

Winner - Pedro Neto

Rosenior displayed a great level of tactical flexibility during his time at Strasbourg and he certainly isn’t welded to one specific system or formation.

However, he frequently lined up in a 3-4-2-1 shape, with ex-Chelsea man Diego Moreira often utilised in a left wing-back role. Marc Cucurella isn’t particularly well-suited to performing such duties, but the position could suit Pedro Neto perfectly.

The Portugal international has been widely criticised for his performances in recent weeks, however a move to left wing-back may be the ideal step for him in a similar fashion to Victor Moses on the opposite flank under Antonio Conte.

Loser - Strasbourg

Strasbourg fans have continuously protested against the BlueCo regime since being purchased by the Chelsea owners in 2024 and Rosenior's move to Stamford Bridge will not be received well.

In fact, reports in France suggest that BlueCo were more than happy to disrupt Strasbourg’s season by removing Rosenior from his post and taking him to Chelsea.

The Ligue 1 outfit are currently seventh in the French top flight and qualification for European football may be in doubt if their new manager fails to hit the ground running.

Winner - Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer worked with Maresca at Manchester City and he enjoyed a thoroughly successful start to life under the Italian at Chelsea.

However, his form in 2025 was a concern. The England superstar only notched six Premier League goals in the entire calendar year, with two of those coming from the penalty spot, and there were several rumours suggesting he was unhappy with his tactical role in Chelsea’s system.

With Rosenior arriving, it could breathe new life into Palmer and help him rediscover the form he displayed during his debut season at Chelsea under former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Loser - Alejandro Garnacho

STATS

Alejandro Garnacho

F (L), M (RL)

Chelsea

Alejandro Garnacho

F (L), M (RL)

Chelsea

13

Games
1

Goals
3

Assists

As mentioned, Rosenior is an astute tactical manager who is likely to deploy various systems during the remainder of the 2025-26 season after being appointed as the new Chelsea boss.

But, if he does decide to copy his favoured 3-4-2-1 set-up from Strasbourg, then summer signing Alejandro Garnacho stands to lose out.

The Argentine has only registered four goal contributions in 13 Premier League matches for Chelsea this season and given he struggled as a left-sided No.10 in Ruben Amorim’s back three system at Manchester United, he may suffer a similar fate under Rosenior.

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