Madrid Universal
·3 June 2026
Former manager looking to poach Premier League players in the summer

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Yahoo sportsMadrid Universal
·3 June 2026

While Real Madrid look for a new manager and close in on Jose Mourinho, former manager Xabi Alonso has closed in on a move to Chelsea.
Just over six months after being sacked from his position at Real Madrid, the Spanish tactician has found a new job and is set to take over for the London-based side.
He is, however, looking to make reinforcements in the summer for his new club and has several Real Madrid players on his radar.

Alonso won’t shy away from signing Real Madrid stars. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
As revealed by El Debate, Xabi Alonso has indeed signed a four-year deal with Chelsea and was disappointed to learn that he will not be competing in Europe next season. His mission, however, is to bring Chelsea back to its former glory.
His plan, however, is to poach players from Real Madrid’s squad who he sees as possessing the right profile for his plans.
Brahim Diaz, Fran Garcia and Eduardo Camavinga are all on his radar, and it is clear that the manager is targeting fringe players who he knows will be available easily in the summer.

Can Mourinho hold on to his stars? (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
As it stands, Diaz, Garcia and Camavinga all appear transferable given their lack of prominence last season. With the manager changing, however, matters may change as well next season.
Jose Mourinho appears to be the best-placed candidate to take over in June, and a lot will thus boil down to how much the new manager has the players in his plans.
Given Mourinho’s style, many of the players who did not enjoy prominence last season may well see their stocks skyrocket. Alonso’s plan to poach Real Madrid stars, thus, will boil down to Mourinho’s preferences.
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