Xabi Alonso: Reece James to captain Chelsea while new boss wants Enzo Fernandez to stay at club | football news

Xabi Alonso says defender Reece James will remain Chelsea captain – and wants Enzo Fernandez to stay at the club.

Chelsea began pre-season this week under new boss Alonso, who was appointed in May after leaving Real Madrid earlier this year, although he is working with a shortened squad as some players are still at the World Cup.

His two main men, James and Fernandez, are absent as they face each other in England’s blockbuster semi-final with Argentina on Wednesday, but the right-back will once again have the armband for the upcoming season when he returns.

James, 26, was named club captain in August 2023, starting his career in the club’s academy. He suffered a hamstring injury while at Chelsea, although he made 39 appearances in all competitions last season before making England’s World Cup squad.

“He can do everything,” James’ Alonso said in an exclusive interview Sky Sports News.

“He can attack from inside or outside. He can deliver, he’s good at set-pieces, he has blue DNA, which is very important, and we pass that on to the whole team and the new players. He’s going to be the captain.”

Argentine midfielder Fernandez signed for Chelsea from Benfica in January 2023 for £106.8m, a British-record transfer at the time, and enjoyed his best season last term, scoring 10 Premier League goals and providing four assists in 36 appearances.

Fernandez has been linked with a move away from the club this summer, but Real Madrid have publicly denied their interest in the 25-year-old and Alonso wants him to stay, having spoken to him privately.

“Enzo is a great player and we are looking forward to getting him and starting to work together,” said Alonso.

Meanwhile, Alonso has confirmed that other clubs have interest in the winger Alejandro Garnacho.

The 22-year-old did not take part in Alonso’s first training session this week and Sky Sports News Previously reported that Chelsea are ready to sell him for £50m this summer.

Garnacho is one of the wingers Roma are interested in signing this summer, according to Italian skies

Alonso said: “The situation is that we have spoken to the sporting directors and there is interest for him from other clubs.

“So let’s see how it develops. But hopefully, it will end in the best way for all parties.”

Alonso is also a striker Nicholas JacksonThe midfielder, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, will join Chelsea on their pre-season tour of Asia.

“I’m looking forward to starting with Nico at that point,” he said.

Alonso was keen to discuss his philosophy rather than make any predictions about how Chelsea might fare in his first season in charge, but insisted European qualification was among the targets.

“That’s definitely a goal,” he said. “But to reach that goal, you have to do a lot of the right things and be part of that process, how we want to play, how we want to see ourselves, how we want to approach a game wherever we go.

“That’s my job. So I’m really looking forward to the whole squad. At the moment, we have some bids, but it’s still early days.

“But for sure, we want to be there and time will tell. But we are ambitious and at Chelsea we need to share that energy, that ambition as well as that hunger to succeed.”