Xabi Alonso will have a say in the business Chelsea do in the summer transfer window and he is likely to want to make some big changes to the squad he inherited.

The Blues finished tenth in the Premier League this season, outside of any European competition for the 2026/27 campaign, meaning Alonso only has domestic competitions to concern himself with.

The Spaniard was named permanent boss at Stamford Bridge soon after the season ended, with the clear indication that he was going to have a say in matters off the field by being given the title of manager rather than head coach, in recognition of his experience and proven track record.

Alonso should bring in a former Liverpool player

Chelsea are yet to dip their toe into the transfer market yet this summer, although the window does not officially open until Monday, but Alonso is likely to make a number of changes.

And one former Chelsea legend has told him who his first signing should be and it may come as a surprise.

In a blog for Betway, Marcel Desailly said: “A player who could suit the profile is former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez. If you give him the confidence and belief, he will not feel shy because the people in the system are a higher grade than him. That is what happened to him at Liverpool. There were too many players higher grade than him, so he couldn’t express himself. At Chelsea, I’m sure he would express himself and perform.

“They need a striker but I’m not sure exactly who it will be or where they will get him. Unless they find one in Germany who we don’t know much about yet, but they have to match the profile of what Chelsea is looking for.”

Nunez spent three years at Anfield, scoring 25 goals in 95 appearances for the Reds and was often derided for his work in front of goal.

He spent the last season in the Saudi Pro League playing for Al-Hilal, following a £46.3million move from Liverpool but just a year later, his contract has been ripped up and he is a free agent.

Guillem Balague is a big fan of Nunez

via Reuters

Liverpool have been linked with bringing the Uruguayan back to the Premier League, given the long-term injury to Hugo Ekitike, and on a free transfer there is almost no gamble on signing the 26-year-old, apart from wages.

Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague was effusive in his praise of Nunez while at Liverpool.

He said: “People focused on his supposed lack of quality in finishing and movement, not realising that every time he makes a mistake he just keeps going. His mentality is ignored.

“He’s becoming a world-class player.”

Tottenham are closing in on a deal to secure an ‘elite’ star until 2031, with the option of an additional season, and he’s set to become one of their highest-paid players.

Although Spurs undoubtedly need reinforcements in the summer transfer window, they also need to try to keep hold of some of their key stars.

Many of them will likely be looking for moves in the coming months after Tottenham fail to qualify for any European football.

The reality is that some will depart, but trying to keep the core group together will be imperative for Roberto De Zerbi.

Tottenham will be working on new additions ahead of the summer while they are also looking to extend the contracts of some of their current players.

Tottenham Close to Five-Year Deal

According to a report from The Athletic writer Mario Cortegana, Pedro Porro is close to extending his stay with Tottenham until 2031, with the option of a further season.

Porro, described as elite by former manager Thomas Frank, is set to become one of Spurs’ highest-paid players.

The Spanish full-back has just two years remaining on his current contract, but he looks set to put pen to paper on a new long-term deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Statement Move From Tottenham

Although moves to sign Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers in the summer transfer window make it an excellent start to the window, keeping hold of their best players is just as important, if not more so.

It shows a statement of intent from Spurs to move forward in the right direction rather than just completely overhauling their current squad.

The North London club showed a real resurgence under Roberto De Zerbi, showing that he is capable of working with what he’s got.

Keeping key talent at the club, alongside strengthening in certain areas, could help Tottenham head back in the right direction.

Each host of the 2026 World Cup has now played, as the summer tournament begins to build in momentum. There has already been plenty of excitement on the pitch, with three red cards in Mexico’s opening day win over South Africa, while the United States burst into life with a 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay.

However, the empty seats at some stadiums have been apparent for those watching the competition so far. With FIFA hiking ticket prices to unprecedented costs, many fans haven’t been able to get to the games. Adding to that, visa issues have prevented others from coming into the US to follow their teams.

As such, it was no surprise when, in just the second game of the match, which saw South Korea come from a goal down to beat Czechia 2-1, there were large gaps in the crowd throughout the stadium. FIFA have since come in for heavy criticism after they addressed the situation with an online statement.

FIFA Deny Empty Seats at 2026 World Cup

Via REUTERS/Paul Childs

South Korea picked up three points against Czechia to move up to second in Group A, level on points with hosts Mexico, winning 2-1 at the Estadio Akron (Guadalajara Stadium) in Guadalajara. Fans watching on TV could see vast swathes of empty red seats, which would have been even more apparent if both national teams didn’t wear red for their home shirts, which meant many fans from each country arrived at the venue sporting those colours.

As criticism circulated over the lack of tickets sold, FIFA felt the need to comment. A statement insisted that the tickets had been sold and that the stadium only looked empty as ‘several ticketed fans’ were in the concourses during their game, and not in view in their seats:

The idea that the stadium looked empty simply because a few fans were in the concourses was deemed laughable by those online. The social media post was even hit by a community note on X, which read:

“Photos from the match show thousands of empty seats throughout the stadium, contradicting the claim of only several fans in concourses.”

This comment is backed up by The Athletic, which reported: “There were swathes of empty seats at the Akron Stadium, situated on the city’s eastern edge. These were particularly concentrated towards the pitchside VIP section at the centre of the east stand, but patches of red seats could be seen throughout — leaving what looked like thousands of empty seats in total.”

Despite that, FIFA claimed that the official attendance for South Korea 2-1 Czechia was 44,985, which is just under the official stadium capacity for the tournament of 45,664. All the images and reporting suggest there were far more than 679 empty seats.

Fans Tear Into FIFA Empty Seats Explanation Amid Costly World Cup Ticket Prices

FIFA President Gianni Infantino via REUTERS/Henry Romero

The real reason behind the lack of tickets sold is likely to relate to the prices. Tickets in the lower tier cost $500, while those on the sidelines at the top of the stadium’s bowl were priced at $400. Notably, however, the biggest gaps in the stadium appeared to be in the hospitality seating area, with tickets costing over $5000 if purchased by supporters, rather than given away by corporate sponsors.

Fans were understandably unimpressed with the claims made by FIFA, and soon took to social media to make their feelings clear. One asked:

Another added: “So people are paying extortionate prices just to stand in the concourse? FIFA is run by corporate liars.”

Along that theme, a third wrote: “Your ticketing website is a disaster, your ticket policy has been a disaster too, you should feel embarrassed by both.” Before someone else simply added: “We all have eyes to see.”

Another said: “Yeah ‘several ticketed fans’ on a concourse would really explain the clearly thousands of empties…” A final fan summed up the mood, saying: Hahahaha, that’s amazing. Maybe the best lie ever. Standing in the concourse, of course, they were.”