Over three weeks in early May, Alonso held low-key meetings in London and in his hometown of San Sebastian to confirm Chelsea was the right move.
Although many wondered why he chose the Blues instead of former club Liverpool, no formal offer arrived from them — and last month Alonso said “timing” led him to Chelsea rather than Anfield.
He said he had long viewed Chelsea from the outside, weighing the switch carefully and holding early talks with the sporting directors about his vision for the club.
Alonso acknowledged both positives and concerns, addressed them directly, and found alignment on ideas and analysis — a shared plan to build momentum and make the decisions needed to construct a strong team.
That plan included signing £117m forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. He was Chelsea’s top attacking target and was secured despite interest from Premier League champions Arsenal.
He has also added full-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta, a potential key to replicating the system he used at Bayer Leverkusen, while talks continue for left-sided option Pep Chavarria of Rayo Vallecano.
Asked about the backing he has received, Alonso said the club has already taken some steps but there are still more to come.
He’s kept his public comments measured, yet consistently appears deeply involved in decisions.
His position as the first manager, rather than head coach, under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital may be overstated; the club’s five sporting directors still handle much of the operation, staying in constant dialogue with Alonso and his staff.
As is typical at this stage of the year, Chelsea remain open for business.
There is genuine excitement about 35-year-old striker Danny Welbeck, who will now join the squad for pre-season.
He is expected to provide experienced cover for Joao Pedro and bring a positive influence behind the scenes.
Midfielder Jordan Henderson, 36, is also set to arrive after Chelsea were unable to secure Alonso’s former Bayer Leverkusen captain Granit Xhaka from Sunderland.
As seen under England manager Thomas Tuchel at this summer’s World Cup, Henderson is expected to set standards as a vocal leader — something Chelsea have been missing.
It would echo the role Alonso played for Pep Guardiola late in his Bayern Munich career.
It amounts to a senior reset at the Premier League’s youngest team.
Chelsea have previously struggled with indiscipline, a perceived softness at set-pieces and, perhaps most significantly, a shortage of leadership and dressing-room culture.
Alonso says the squad needs the right balance of personalities and levels of maturity — from early 20s to early 30s and everything between.
Culture is another priority. He points to the Basque Country’s strong sense of collective purpose and identity as a model.
He believes that ethos should extend beyond the players; before an overseas trip, he supplied assists for the winning side in a staff game at Chelsea.