Xabi Alonso, manager of Chelsea Football Club, has expressed strong confidence in the club's record £117 million signing, Morgan Rogers, predicting an "instant impact" from the attacker. Alonso also stressed that all players returning from their World Cup breaks must be ready for the Premier League season opener against Fulham.
Rogers, who joined from Aston Villa and is now the most expensive British player ever, is currently on a post-World Cup holiday. Alonso stated that players who reached the final stages of the tournament will be integrated back into the squad and must be prepared to compete immediately.
"We need players who can have that almost instant impact, and I’m sure Morgan won’t need much time to adapt to the club, to the system, to his team-mates," Alonso said. "That was the idea that we wanted and to get a top player and Morgan is one of them."
Alonso revealed that Chelsea had been monitoring Rogers for an extended period. "We were looking at him for a long time. He’s going to be a key player for the team," he added.
The manager made these remarks while in Sydney, Australia, where Chelsea is scheduled to play friendlies against Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur. Alonso indicated that the club anticipates further activity in the transfer market before its closure.
"We want to build a competitive team. We are in that process," Alonso commented when asked about potential new signings. "We have great quality, great talent, and we need to know what it takes to compete in the Premier League. We want a squad with the right balance between quality and mentality."
Chelsea is also reportedly close to signing Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace for approximately £52 million. Alonso acknowledged the ongoing process of strengthening the squad but also highlighted the necessity of managing player movement.
"We need to know that probably there will still be some movements," Alonso stated. "We need to be flexible and quick to act. The main thing is that we have a clear idea, a clear plan that we have built."
Alonso emphasized the team's need for increased intensity and work rate, referencing Chelsea's low distance covered statistic from the previous Premier League season. "We need to compete. We need to have good energy. We need to run. We need to work hard. We need to have the sacrifices which are compulsory and mandatory in each Premier League game."
The Premier League season begins for Chelsea on August 24 against Fulham.