Marcel Desailly urges Chelsea to back Xabi Alonso’s Granit Xhaka pursuit

Former Chelsea captain Marcel Desailly has publicly called on the club’s hierarchy to secure the signing of Granit Xhaka, arguing that manager Xabi Alonso must be granted complete transfer autonomy to successfully establish his tactical vision.

Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly has urged the club’s board to back newly appointed manager Xabi Alonso in his pursuit of Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka.

Desailly emphasized that providing Alonso with his preferred transfer targets is vital for the Spaniard to successfully implement his tactical philosophy at Stamford Bridge, drawing a direct parallel to Luis Enrique’s squad-building freedom at Paris Saint-Germain.

Desailly stated: “If Alonso really wants Granit Xhaka because he thinks he has something special, why not give him the player? For Alonso to be able to build his philosophy, he needs to have the players he wants around him. Look at what PSG has achieved when they gave Luis Enrique the freedom to bring in his own players.”