Xabi Alonso Backs Enzo Fernández to Stay at Chelsea

Alonso revealed that he had privately spoken with Fernández about his situation. When asked directly whether he wanted the midfielder to stay, the new Chelsea coach gave a clear response: “Yes.”

Speculation intensified after Fernández’s representative confirmed that the midfielder was exploring options to leave Chelsea this summer. Real Madrid have distanced themselves from a possible transfer, despite being repeatedly linked with the 25-year-old.

Fernández is currently away following Argentina’s run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He scored a stoppage-time winner as the defending champions completed a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt in the round of 16.

The midfielder also contributed as Argentina defeated Switzerland after extra time to secure a semi-final against England. Chelsea expect him to return for pre-season training after completing his post-tournament holiday.

Alonso addressed Fernández’s future during his first press conference as Chelsea manager, while also outlining his ambition to return the club to European competition. He acknowledged that achieving that target would require improvement across several areas.

“That's a goal, but to reach that goal you need to do many right things,” Alonso said in his first major media appearance as Chelsea manager.

The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid coach described the coming campaign as a fresh beginning for Chelsea, with changes to the coaching staff and tactical structure. He added that the players had responded positively to his early work.

With Fernández’s future still attracting transfer interest, Alonso’s public backing sends a firm message that Chelsea would prefer to retain one of their most influential midfielders rather than oversee another major squad departure.