Xabi Alonso has saved Chelsea €80m thanks to crucial transfer decision

17 Sept 2026 18:57 BST | 4 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

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During the BlueCo reign to date, Chelsea have unquestionably had an unhealthy obsession with new signings.

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In every transfer window, their solution has been to buy players rather than develop their existing stars, and while this strategy led to their Club World Cup triumph in 2025, it’s yet to bring tangible domestic success.

The Blues have started the Xabi Alonso era in fine form, despite a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal and a 2-2 draw versus Hull City in their last two Premier League fixtures, although their defence remains a major issue, having already conceded 12 goals in six games across all competitions this term.

New signings Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix have already settled in nicely, while the Blues deserve immense credit for several lucrative summer sales, including the unwanted striker duo of Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap - who departed for a combined €108 million.

Arguably their most important transfer decision, however, was retaining the services of Josh Acheampong, amid keen interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Current ETV

Josh Acheampong

D (CR)

Chelsea

Josh Acheampong

D (CR)

Chelsea

ETV Range

€19.4M - €23.7M

Xabi Alonso transfer meeting

As reported by Chelsea journalist Simon Phillips, Alonso held a meeting with Acheampong’s camp over the summer in order to offer assurances over the 20-year-old’s role in his first-team squad this season.

The England U21 international has been a bit-part player for the past two seasons at Stamford Bridge and it’s understood that he was willing to explore an exit before Transfer Deadline Day unless he was convinced that he would play a prominent role under the new manager.

Crystal Palace were eager to finalise a loan deal over the summer, while a plethora of major European clubs were reportedly keeping close tabs on his situation in the event that he pushed to leave Chelsea.

However, lo and behold, Alonso confirmed to Acheampong’s camp that he was firmly in his plans for the 2026-27 season and the England youngster has played the entire 90 minutes in four of Chelsea’s six games so far this term.

Alonso’s 3-4-3 system has created the perfect opportunity for Acheampong to shine in his favoured role - the right-sided central defender in a back three - and it’s highly likely that he will rack up at least 25 starts across all competitions this campaign.

And, if BlueCo’s plan for future success ever pays off, Acheampong will be central to Chelsea’s rise back to the top.

Josh Acheampong is the real deal

Acheampong is an immensely talented defender and he has an extremely bright future at centre-back. In fact, a senior England call-up surely can’t be far away.

Although he has mostly played at right-back during his senior career to date, while he learns the ropes of first-team football, his future lies at the heart of defence and Alonso has saved Chelsea a fortune by convincing him to stay.

Acheampong is already one of the best one-vs-one defenders in the entire Premier League, he is excellent at progressing play via lengthy carries up the pitch, and his box-defending skills are developing at a rapid rate.

If he wasn’t a Chelsea player, the Blues would undoubtedly be pursuing his signature next year and given the current state of the transfer market, it’s no exaggeration to suggest that he could've cost at least €80 million to sign.

Thankfully, for the Chelsea hierarchy, Alonso was able to convince Acheampong to stay and the west London giants will reap the rewards of that summer meeting for years to come.