Xabi Alonso is not planning on reuniting with Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz at Chelsea this summer.
Alonso worked alongside Wirtz during their spell at Bayer Leverkusen, with the incoming Blues boss getting the finest performances we’ve witnessed from the Germany international. Wirtz’s displays under Alonso secured him a £116million transfer to Liverpool last summer, though things haven’t quite clicked for the former Leverkusen attacker at Anfield thus far.
The 23-year-old registered seven goals and 10 assists for the Reds across 49 outings in all competitions during his maiden campaign in England. With Alonso landing his first Premier League appointment at Chelsea, talk of a reunion has always felt unavoidable.
One report suggests Chelsea are ‘keeping tabs’ on Wirtz and could potentially move depending on what unfolds with Enzo Fernandez this summer. However, football.london put that to a source close to the west London outfit and it has been rubbished.
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Chelsea are targeting at least two first-team-calibre players to bolster Alonso’s squad ahead of the 44-year-old’s maiden campaign at Stamford Bridge.
Numerous players have been linked with the west Londoners in recent weeks, but sources close to the club told football.london several days ago that there is no truth in rumours regarding John Stones, Ethan Nwaneri and Lucas Bergvall. Wirtz is the most recent addition to that expanding list.
Although wide of the mark, the links are understandable given Wirtz and Alonso’s history at Bayer Leverkusen. Wirtz enjoyed the most prolific spell of his young career under the Spaniard’s management, returning 38 goals and 43 assists in 119 games.
The creative freedom Alonso allowed his star attacking midfielder was notable and greatly appreciated by Wirtz. “I feel extremely valued under him,” he said in November 2023.
View 2 ImagesFlorian Wirtz has played every minute of Germany’s World Cup campaign so far(Image: Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
“I feel the trust. That’s really important, especially as a young player. He gives me a lot of freedom on the pitch and always has a tip on what I can do better.”
Alonso was linked with Liverpool before he ended up in west London, but his former club ended up going for Andoni Iraola after dismissing Arne Slot following a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League.
Iraola, not Alonso, will therefore be the man tasked with bringing the best out of the Germany international. The ex-Bournemouth boss will no doubt be hoping that he arrives back at Anfield brimming with confidence after the World Cup.
Wirtz has started both of Germany’s matches so far, with Julian Nagelsmann giving him plenty of trust. He assisted Felix Nmecha’s opening goal and played the full 90 minutes of the 7-1 thrashing of Curacao before also playing the full game against Ivory Coast.
However, it was Denis Undav who stole the show in Toronto, coming off the bench to score twice as Germany came from behind to win 2-1 and guarantee their place in the knockout stages.
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