Soccer
Xabi Alonso wants Chelsea to move forward following Enzo Fernandez’s exit
Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso hopes everyone can now “move forward” following the protracted sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City which was finally confirmed late on transfer deadline day.
The Argentina midfielder left Stamford Bridge to join City in a British record-equalling £125million deal ahead of the window closing on Tuesday night.
Chelsea had initially set their own deadline of August 14 for clubs to make offers for Fernandez. But with that having come and gone, City then made another late move which saw intense negotiations over the fee before a settlement was eventually reached close to the 11pm cut-off.
The Blues had hoped to be able to bring in midfielder Lamine Camara from Monaco, but that deal collapsed when the Ligue 1 side backed out having not signed a deal sheet before the window closed.
Alonso, though, insists everything must now all be considered water under the bridge as he looks to refocus the squad for Sunday’s trip to Premier League champions Arsenal, when Chelsea will be bidding to maintain their own 100 per cent start to the new campaign.
“We take all the decisions together. We are responsible for them with our work together, the big ones, small ones,” Alonso said at a press conference.
“We knew ultimately the last goal is to have the best for the team, for the squad, for daily work here. We want to build a good spirit and a good team, and we have always taken the decisions thinking that we wanted to reach that.”
Alonso continued: “In football many things happen, and you need to be prepared for everything.
“With Enzo, we have had conversations, but always with respect as well.
“What he has done for the club, it has been great, and we are thankful, but now it is time to move forward.
“We have a lot of big personalities, players with a lot of quality in all the different positions and now we are ready to go.”
Alonso also refused to be drawn any further on the collapse of the deal for Camara.
“I think that we are prepared and happy with the squad, the depth, with the healthy competition we have in different positions. It is a good balance between players of different stages (of their career),” the Blues boss.
“We need to build that energy during the week to perform well at the weekends. So far, it is just two games, but it has been a good start and now we know who is in the building and that is good to have that certainty.”
Chelsea’s squad has undergone major change over the summer, with Alonso looking to reshape the dynamic of his new-look team.
“We can be very happy with the whole transfer window. What we started talking about in late May-early June, many things we have accomplished,” said Alonso, who will make a late check over midfielder Moises Caicedo, who went off during the closing stages against Brighton.
“It is a very balanced structure for phase one which we have made in this transfer window, with all that we had and where we are now. It is a good first one, for now and for the future.”
