Xabi Alonso's first big call: five players to leave

The first major signals of a squad clear-out ahead of the new season have arrived at Chelsea. According to The Sun, on the instructions of new head coach Xabi Alonso, the club are looking to find new clubs for five players: Filip Jorgensen, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap.

Alonso's expectations became clear at his first press conference. The head coach called on players to raise their standards in order to win back the fans, stating: "What we want for sure is a team with the right mentality, the right hunger, the right standards, and to build on that on a daily basis." These words carry particular weight at a club that finished 10th in the Premier League last season and failed to qualify for European competition.

Each name on the list carries its own story. Defenders Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile have been linked with a departure for months. Should Nicolas Jackson, who scored 11 goals as Harry Kane's understudy during his loan spell at Bayern Munich, return to the squad, Liam Delap — who scored 2 goals in 41 appearances last season — could also leave, at least on loan.

Garnacho's inclusion on the list overlaps with separate context. In another story we covered today, talks were reported to be ongoing over loaning Alejandro Garnacho to Roma, supporting his place on the short-term departure list.

The overall picture points to Chelsea entering a period of deep transformation. It is suggested that the squad Alonso has inherited will look completely different within a year or two, with the club expected to see heavy traffic on both the incoming and outgoing sides during the summer window.

Source: The Sun
Image: BBC Sport