Chelsea

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Xabi Alonso has confirmed midfielder Kendry Paez will not be part of Chelsea's first-team squad after failing to secure a move before last week's transfer deadline.

The 19-year-old Ecuador international is expected to join Cobham Next Gen - Chelsea's Under-21 side - after failing to find a loan move in the Premier League or Championship.

Chelsea had wanted to send Paez on a domestic loan after Argentine club River Plate removed him from their first-team squad and forced them into recalling him.

However, Chelsea used the last of their overseas loan allocations on goalkeeper Robert Sanchez's move to Como 1907 and midfielder Dario Essugo's switch to Strasbourg on deadline day.

Asked whether Paez would now be reintegrated into the senior squad, Alonso said: "At the moment, he's not part of the first-team squad."

When asked if that could change later in the season, he replied: "No, no, he's not part of the plans."

The decision follows a mixed loan spell at Strasbourg, the French club owned by Chelsea's parent company, where Paez won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Month award but also faced criticism from former manager Liam Rosenior and sections of the French media.

There have also been questions over his conduct off the pitch. In March 2024, Paez was filmed in a strip club in New York while on international duty with Ecuador at the age of 16.

Paez was part of Ecuador's squad at the 2026 World Cup and made one substitute appearance.

The youngster joined Chelsea from Independiente del Valle in 2023 in a deal worth up to £17.3m, but has yet to make a first-team appearance for the club.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

A late flourish from Estevao Willian almost snatched Chelsea a draw at Arsenal on Sunday.

His curling strike was saved by goalkeeper David Raya to preserve Arsenal's lead, but it served as a reminder of the important role the 19-year-old Brazil winger could play in Xabi Alonso's side.

His game time has been limited so far this season by the club record £117m signing of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa as well as the form of Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro.

Reports in Brazil have suggested Estevao is unhappy with his lack of opportunities.

However, those claims have been denied by sources at Stamford Bridge and by people close to the player, some of whom have also expressed excitement about Chelsea's summer recruitment - including the arrival of Rogers.

Chelsea regard Estevao as one of a small group of untouchable players that includes Palmer, Joao Pedro and Moises Caicedo.

But where does Estevao fit at Chelsea?

Estevao came on for Pedro Neto, who has been operating as a wing-back in Alonso's new system, as Chelsea chased an equaliser on Sunday.

It is difficult to imagine any other in-game circumstance in which Estevao would be asked to perform the same role, given the defensive and physical demands placed on players in that position.

Instead, Palmer occupies Estevao's preferred inside-right number 10 role.

Estevao and Palmer have shown encouraging signs when used together when Alonso has played a back four - but he has deployed that shape only against Luton Town in the Carabao Cup.

Displacing Palmer for league games could prove difficult as Alonso regards him as both a dressing-room leader and one of his key attacking threats.

Alonso has also fielded close to his strongest side even in the Carabao Cup, with Chelsea not involved in European competition and with the new head coach eager to establish his tactical principles as quickly as possible following his arrival.

Estevao is not alone in struggling for meaningful minutes early in the season and, should Leeds United win at Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, the Blues will have no further cup fixtures until the FA Cup in January.

That quietly makes Wednesday's game an important one in terms of keeping a 27-man squad satisfied.

Read more on Estevao's position at Chelsea here

Chelsea are ready to make a move for Bournemouth's English midfielder Alex Scott, 23, in January. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Carabao Cup third-round tie against Leeds United at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Marco Palestra and Moises Caicedo are "not yet" match fit. Both players are being assessed game by game, but the cup fixture "isn't the right moment to take a risk".

• Caicedo could be back for Saturday's Premier League game against Hull City, though. A decision will be made on his availability on Thursday or Friday.

• Levi Colwill will be available for selection, but Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha will not feature.

• On whether he will name a strong side like he did in the second-round tie against Luton Town: "We always assess everything in terms of where we are coming from and where we are going. We try to take all of the games and the cup ties very seriously. We want to field the best possible team."

• He added: "The more players you have involved in the squad and playing minutes, the better it is for the overall level. For that reason, it is important that we use all of our players because it breeds a very good dynamic."

• Chelsea are expecting a "very intense and very tough game" against Leeds United, who enjoy one-v-one duels. Alonso added: "We need to cope with that, find solutions for it, and know that it is going to play an important role."

• When asked about reports in Brazil suggesting Estevao Willian is concerned about his playing opportunities this season, he replied: "No [he hasn't said that to me]. He is ready and training well. He was given a chance to make a very good impact against Arsenal. He is fully involved in our squad."

• Alonso reiterated that "private conversations should remain private". However, he feels he can "100% count on" the 19-year-old this season.

• On his early impressions of summer signing Valentin Barco: "He is a competitor and a fighter. He is very good with the ball, open to adapting quickly and intelligent. We are only four games into the season in total, so it is still early days for him, but he is ready for the challenge."

• Chelsea can be "happy" with their start to the season, but Alonso is looking for his players to also be "self-demanding". He explained: "We are taking steps but there are still lots of steps to be taken. We need to improve in the areas where we can do better and emphasise on the areas where we are already doing well."

• He added: "We aren't even close to the final product. As I said in my first news conference, the Chelsea we will see in January will be a much better version [than in August]."

Listen to commentary of Chelsea v Leeds United on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3 and BBC Sounds on Wednesday

Got a question about Chelsea? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Mykhailo Mudryk became the first player to move from Chelsea to Tottenham in 17 years and the first loanee to join Spurs from Chelsea since 1992.

The Ukraine international, 25, has since returned to action, making his first competitive appearance in more than 21 months as a substitute in Roberto de Zerbi's side against Nottingham Forest this weekend.

Upon joining, Mudryk reiterated that De Zerbi, who managed him at Shakhtar Donetsk, was his "football father".

However, a move to north London was not a realistic option until the last few days of the window.

Spurs had previously explored moves for Liverpool's Cody Gakpo and then-Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye, with Richarlison set to move in the opposite direction to the Toffees.

However, Liverpool opted to keep Gakpo, while neither Ndiaye nor Richarlison agreed personal terms despite the clubs reaching an agreement. Ndiaye ultimately joined Manchester City instead.

Meanwhile, Leeds United were favourites to sign Mudryk.

Their proposed deal included a loan fee, full wage coverage and penalties if the attacker was not played.

Leeds had at least two offers rejected by Chelsea during talks that lasted more than two weeks, but remained hopeful of completing a deal because they were Mudryk's preferred destination.

Brentford also explored the possibility of signing Mudryk, having previously attempted to acquire him in 2022, but wanted an affordable option-to-buy clause that Chelsea were unwilling to include.

Leeds were blindsided when Chelsea and Spurs held club-to-club talks over deals for both Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo on the same day, helping reduce the size of Chelsea's squad at a crucial stage of the window.

The agreement for Mudryk also included a £75m option to buy. While that option is considered unlikely to be exercised, it is expected to establish a high benchmark for any asking price should Chelsea decide to sell the attacker next summer.

Ultimately, the Yorkshire club instead completed a deal for Eintracht Frankfurt attacker Jean-Matteo Bahoya, using an extended deal-sheet deadline to secure an initial loan move with an obligation to buy, just before the window shut.

BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club team have been discussing Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso's "brave" and "fascinating" approach to defending Arsenal's corners.

The Spaniard suffered his first defeat as Blues manager on Sunday, as Mikel Arteta's side came from behind to earn a 2-1 win at Emirates Stadium.

On Sunday, Chelsea employed a tactic of leaving four players upfield for defensive corners, going man for man in the penalty area.

"I loved the braveness of it, if I'm honest," former Premier League defender Conor Coady said. "It is risky - of course it is, especially against Arsenal - but I love the way Alonso is thinking outside the box a little bit.

"Someone has got to try to stop Arsenal. We have been speaking about their set-pieces for over a year and there has to be a way to stop them.

"We have to remember we are only seeing him at the start of something, though. At least he is trying to think outside the box and trying different things within the game."

Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton added: "It was fascinating, but his players were always going to have to deal with Gabriel and they needed somebody who could match him in the air.

"The point is that you can try to defend Arsenal flooding the box with bodies and have everybody back, but they will still find a way of scoring.

"But I like seeing different things and I like that Xabi Alonso felt brave enough to do that."

Watch the clip below for more discussion about Alonso's style and how, of all the managers he played under, the 44-year-old is most like Carlo Ancelotti...

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Chelsea showed late interest in Fulham's Sander Berge as they attempted to strengthen their midfield options before Enzo Fernandez's departure.

The Blues intended to sign a central midfielder in the closing days of the summer transfer window as they prepared for Fernandez to join Manchester City.

However, Chelsea's search ended in disappointment as they sold Fernandez for £125m without signing a replacement.

It is understood Norway international Berge was among the options explored by Chelsea during the final stages of the window, though they did not make a formal bid and Fulham considered the 28-year-old not for sale.

Since his arrival from Burnley in 2023, Berge has become a key player for the Cottagers, making 78 appearances.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea centre-back Maxence Lacroix says the Blues "deserved more" from their 2-1 defeat against Arsenal.

Lacroix said: "I think it was a good start but once they scored it got more and more difficult.

"But we showed that we also had good actions and good attacks, so the defeat hurts a little bit. We gave our best."

The 26-year-old has featured in all four games for Xabi Alonso since his £52m move from Crystal Palace and although Chelsea have only lost one game, they have conceded seven goals in three league fixtures.

"I think we deserved more. Luck was not by our side, but we have to accept it," Lacroix added.

"The desire to score, the attitude was clear. We showed good character until the very end. We deserved the 2-2, but we learned for next time."

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea have been ranked the most productive academy in England and Wales for the fourth consecutive year.

The Academy Productivity Rankings, external, compiled by Training Ground Guru, assess the impact of players in the men's game who have been with various academies until the age of 18, using a data-driven methodology.

Manchester United topped the rankings for three successive seasons before Chelsea claimed first place in the 2021-22 campaign.

Chelsea have now again finished top of the rankings, ahead of Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham.

Speaking about the achievement, academy director Glenn van der Kraan told Training Ground Guru: "On behalf of everyone at Chelsea Football Club, we are incredibly proud to have topped the Academy Productivity Rankings for a fourth successive year.

"That record reflects the hard work of so many people across the academy and the entire club, and I thank the club's ownership and sporting directors for their support and backing."

Chelsea won Premier League 2 and the Under-18 Premier League title before beating Manchester City 5-1 in the national final between the northern and southern champions last season.

The Blues have since renamed their under-21 and under-19 teams as Cobham Next Gen.

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Matthew: Established squad beats big summer spenders. Another example of how building a squad over time really pays off. Very optimistic display.

Vince: It was arguably our first big test in the league and the boys passed it with flying colours. They played with the confidence and grit of champions, swamping Chelsea and forcing the equaliser as if by sheer willpower alone, before Martin Odegaard scored the winner following some classy play. A massive, massive result.

Brian: I'm 84 years old and have been a Gooner since I was five. Wow, what a game. Mikel Arteta has got this team exactly as he wants and they were magnificent against Chelsea. The defence is fully under control, with David Raya putting on a excellent display. I thought Chelsea were not there expecting to win and their midfield was somewhat in disarray at times. Think Xabi Alonso needs to tighten at the back more too.

Gabriel: This game was the epitome of "attack wins you games, but defence wins you championships". Unfortunately for Chelsea, we had both those categories. Riccardo Calafiori was an absolute beast, Christos Tzolis reminded everybody who he is again, and this crazy captain of mine Odegaard was at it again. Huge test passedand we go again at Napoli.

Chelsea fans

George: Chelsea, as usual, conceded after taking the lead but this time Arsenal deserved to be ahead as they were better. The usual suspects were poor/average while Arsenal had 11 good players on the pitch. I do believe Chelsea will continue to improve and hopefully Estevao Willian will start games by Christmas.

Nicholas: We certainly gave them something to think about. Given we had a makeshift midfield and a defence that is largely all over the place, it was surprisingly Arsenal who were defending at the end. Big, big mistake not getting a top midfielder in the transfer window, which will probably be costly at the end of the season if it's not fixed. Arsenal can certainly be got at, not like the Manchester City and Liverpool of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp respectively.

Tristan: I'm so, so gutted. When Morgan Rogers scored that early goal, I thought we had a chance - but it is what is. I think the two goals we conceded were a bit unlucky - if only Emi Martinez stopped that Kai Havertz shot and our centre-halves weren't split as much. But there is a silver lining - I do think we are still title contenders. And we wait for Hull City.

Fossie: An excellent start but we conceded far too much possession to Arsenal and the inevitable happened. Gabriel should have been sent off for kicking Martinez in the head and Estevao was unlucky near the end. But there were some positive signs, enough to at least be challenging for the title.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The primary issue is the absence of midfielder Moises Caicedo, who is out with an unspecified injury for an unknown period after breaking down just 11 minutes into a substitute appearance against Brighton last week.

It has left Xabi Alonso in almost uncharted territory for a Chelsea boss. Aside from suspensions, Caicedo had missed only two matches during the previous three seasons, through a knock and illness.

Asked about the Ecuador international, Alonso said: "It is about assessing the risk. Probably, last week, we brought him back too early and I don't want to make the same mistake again."

It remains unclear whether Chelsea had concerns over Caicedo's fitness while pursuing several central midfielders on transfer deadline day.

Monaco pulled the plug on a £47m move for Lamine Camara at the last minute, leaving officials at Stamford Bridge furious.

Chelsea said they pursued Camara because of a market opportunity, adding that they were satisfied with their summer business and retained faith in their current options.

That was despite selling Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for a joint British record fee of £125m on deadline day, without signing a direct replacement.

However, Caicedo's absence means he joins Jordan Henderson on the sidelines, with the England international still recovering from a broken arm suffered after falling over an advertising hoarding while an unused substitute at the World Cup.

Natural midfielder Valentin Barco, who joined from Strasbourg in the summer, has been overlooked in favour of Malo Gusto in all three of Chelsea's Premier League matches so far.

With Gusto starting in midfield, Chelsea recorded 25.6% possession in last weekend's 4-3 victory over Brighton, their lowest figure since records began in 2003-04.

"I don't think Chelsea can be that frustrated or upset they haven't got more players in, with the number of players they've got on their books," former England captain Wayne Rooney told Match of the Day.

"Alonso has got to figure a way out while they've got injuries... find a way.

"They obviously won the first two league games of the season, but coming up against Arsenal they see the level the champions have got to and they were a little bit off that."

However, if all of Chelsea's midfield options are fit, and Caicedo's injury proves only minor, they should be able to cope with five midfielders in a season without midweek European football, as Alonso argued before the match.

Watch Sunday's episode of Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer

Match of the Day pundit Wayne Rooney says Gabriel was fortunate to stay on the pitch after his challenge on Chelsea' goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Watch Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer

Chelsea want to secure the signing of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott now, with a view to the 23-year-old arriving next summer, after having a £60m bid rejected in the recent transfer window. (Teamtalk), external

Arsenal, Manchester City and Al-Hilal are interested in Chelsea's Pedro Neto and could make a move for the winger in January. (Caught Offside), external

Meanwhile, Blues forward Christopher Nkunku turned down offers from Manchester United and Newcastle United before sealing a loan move back to RB Leipzig. (Bild & Sky Sport Germany, via Caught Offside), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Chelsea starting XI:

Emiliano Martinez: There was concern when the Argentina goalkeeper was accidentally kicked in the head by Gabriel early on, but he was beaten too easily at his near post for Kai Havertz's equaliser. He later made a high-quality save from Saka in the second half. 5

Josh Acheampong: Often dragged into uncomfortable areas by Tzolis from a tactical perspective, but handled his individual defensive duties well. 6

Maxence Lacroix: Miscontrolled a ball early on and allowed Havertz's shot to pass through his legs but also impressed at other times. 6

Wesley Fofana: Unconvincing defensively against Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and, ultimately, Havertz for the equaliser, but the most composed of Chelsea's defenders in possession. 6

Pedro Neto: Tasked with marking Riccardo Calafiori while also providing an attacking threat. Hit the post just before half-time with a brilliant curling effort. 7

Reece James: Saw a well-struck long-range effort saved after 22 minutes and was arguably Chelsea's best passer. 7

Romeo Lavia: Produced a superb defensive header to clear the danger in the 32nd minute and competed aggressively throughout. 6

Jorrel Hato: His determination helped create Morgan Rogers' volley and he matched that effort defensively, although he struggled to contain Saka at times. 6

Cole Palmer: Had one effort on target in the first half and was booked for a professional foul. Also had a second-half shot saved. Arsenal largely kept him quiet. 5

Morgan Rogers: Opened the scoring with a first-time volley after just two minutes. Later curled an effort narrowly wide in the 31st minute and was Chelsea's most dangerous attacking player. 7

Joao Pedro: Unconvincing defensively at set-pieces and had few opportunities in front of goal, including an ambitious effort from distance. Still made a significant contribution through his work-rate, physical presence and ability to bring team-mates into play as the number nine. 6

Chelsea substitutes:

Malo Gusto (on 60, Lavia): Poor effort moments after coming on, albeit playing out of position in central midfield. 5

Pep Chavarria (on 60, Hato): Struggled to track his runners on a few occasions. 6

Estevao Willian (on 80, Neto): The Brazilian's sensational curling effort almost levelled but was saved by Raya.

Danny Welbeck (on 87, Rogers)

Subs not used:

Penders, Colwill, Barco, Quenda, Gittens

Read the full article and see how you rated the players

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea finished in 10th place, a whopping 33 points behind Arsenal last season.

While Xabi Alonso's side still have plenty of catching up to do, there was evidence in this game they will compete towards the top end of the table this time.

Alonso, however, needs to get on top of his side's defensive frailties.

While Chelsea have goals in them this season in the shape of Morgan Rogers - who has scored two and provided one assist in his first three league appearances for his new club - Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer, they also have holes at the back.

Chelsea have not kept a clean sheet in the league since 17 January and although they pushed Arsenal all the way, there will be disappointment about both goals they conceded.

Argentina World Cup keeper Emiliano Martinez will feel he should have done better with Kai Havertz's equaliser, while Chelsea's defence was found wanting for Martin Odegaard's winner.

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "The assessment and the feeling [is that] it hurts. It hurts to lose. It hurts to suffer our first defeat. It has been a very intense game, a great fight between two sides who have given everything. They have played with the top level of concentration, of intensity. We have tried, we score early, after that Arsenal push us hard and we were struggling a little bit to get control of the ball.

"After the equaliser, it has been quite balanced. We had a couple of chances. It's about details. Once you concede, you need to know it's just one goal. Disappointed that we couldn't take anything from here."

On creating opportunities today: "It was never going to be a game to create 12 opportunities. They are hard to beat, they are hard to create chances [against], but we had 3,4, chances to score more than one goal. This is a process. It's still early days for us. We want to start having clean sheets, they will come. The players are committed to working hard, to knowing that we're on the way to compete in each game. Not happy that we couldn't get anything but we need to keep calm and carry on."

On if it's too early to say whether Chelsea will score a lot but also concede a lot: "It's too early. Time will tell. We want to keep improving in certain areas, we want to keep doing as well as we are doing. Each game is really hard battle and we have fought really hard up to the last minute in the game. It's very important we have this spirit and the team is feeling this spirit. It gives you the strength to win games."

Did you know?

• Chelsea have lost five consecutive away games against an opponent in the Premier League for the second time, previously losing six in a row at Anfield to Liverpool between 1992 and 1997.

• Chelsea are the first team in Premier League history to score inside the opening five minutes in each of their first three games of the season.