Chelsea transfer news: Xabi Alonso speaks on squad numbers, hints at open-mindedness to size

Xabi Alonso has suggested that he is yet to make a firm decision over how many players he wants in the 2026-27 Chelsea squad.

Unlike in previous seasons, the Blues have no European football on their schedule, seemingly increasingly the likelihood of more outgoings than incomings during the summer transfer window.

Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix is in line to become Chelsea's fifth first-team addition ahead of the new campaign, while Valentin Barco is also pencilled in to join from Strasbourg.

Therefore, a wide array of departures are expected in due course, Alonso having acknowledged on Monday that "some things may happen".

Speaking at the same press conference ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers, Alonso insisted that he did not have a particular number of players in mind at this stage.

Alonso addresses potential Chelsea squad size

The Spaniard told reporters: "Not too long, not too short. What is the number? I can’t give you that number, but for sure we need to have options because you know that we can be unlucky with injuries, for example, so we need to be prepared for that.

"We can have different circumstances so we can’t be really short either but we need to manage well those minutes.

"As well we have two cups so we need to fight for them as hard as for the Premier League this year. And that’s once we get the the right balance in terms of qualities, in terms of personalities, in terms of maturity moments.

"Hopefully we are looking for that and that when we are starting the first Premier League game in August, that we say okay, we have what we wanted or as close as we wanted and now we are ready to go."

How many players are in Chelsea's first-team squad?

Once Lacroix completes a £52m transfer from Crystal Palace and presumably an announcement on Barco follows, Chelsea will have 32 senior players. That is not including academy players who could be promoted to the first team.

Sports Mole recently looked at how Alonso used a smaller squad during his successful stint with Bayer Leverkusen, even with European football on their schedule.