Chelsea already have an agreement to sign a dream Enzo Fernandez replacement

Chelsea might be looking forward to the Xabi Alonso era, but there’s no question that this has been a disastrous season for the Blues, who sacked Enzo Maresca and then Liam Rosenior and have ended the Premier League term in tenth place.

There will be no European football for Chelsea next season, though this does give Alonso the luxury of rest and recuperation, two key elements that are becoming more and more sparse for elite football teams in the modern climate.

Manchester United’s success across the latter half of the season is evidence of how a reduced calendar can bear dividends for a side seeking resurgence.

But Chelsea cannot afford for this to happen again. They need to bounce right back, even as superstars like Enzo Fernandez angle for an exit.

How Chelsea could replace Enzo Fernandez

Fernandez is the definition of a big-game player, and while he has ebbed and flowed at Chelsea in the years since joining from Benfica for £105m, the 25-year-old has been an instrumental cog throughout a tough period.

But it feels like the skipper might have reached the end of the road. Manchester City, soon to be led by Enzo Maresca, are interested in signing him this summer, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that discussions are underway.

It goes without saying that replacing him will be difficult, especially as the Blues cannot offer transfer targets immediate European football. That said, Alonso’s project promises success, and forcible shrewdness could end up paying off for the Londoners.

Indeed, it has been confirmed that Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco is on his way to Chelsea, reportedly set to sign when the transfer window opens. The former Brighton left-back has since gone from strength to strength in midfield and has an agreement in place to move to Stamford Bridge.

Despite interest from a top German club, the 21-year-old wants to remain within the BlueCo project, with his all-action midfield style perhaps eyed as Fernandez edges toward the exit.

Why Barco can be Chelsea’s new Fernandez

Barco will be joined by Emmanuel Emegha in leaving Strasbourg and joining Chelsea this summer, already showing that he is capable of forging slick connections with the centre-forward.

Across a handful of Premier League appearances with the Seagulls in 2023/24, it was clear that a teenage Barco needed to develop his skillset elsewhere. Even so, he showed enough on the south coast to suggest that he has the potential to be a Premier League star, and he could now realise that goal with Chelsea.

Though Chelsea do not have European football to look forward to, it’s unavoidable that a few superstars – such as Fernandez – will push for summer moves, thus wiping the slate clean and allowing Alonso to build a unified team, in concert and working toward the same goal.

And anyway, Barco’s performances in Ligue 1 this year point toward talent that could end uprivalling that of Fernandez, who is four years his senior.

Obviously, we’re not advocating Barco as a more complete midfielder than Fernandez at this point in time. The Argentina star is one of the best in the business, almost underrated in his talismanic, world-class level at Stamford Bridge.

But you can certainly see why BlueCo have moved to get this deal over the line, landing a naturally creative and combative player who has been described as “pure quality” on the ball by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Barco might actually be a more athletic and secure defensive force than his big-money compatriot, with an elegance and intelligence to his game that Alonso will relish.