New boss Alonso calls for Chelsea ‘hunger’, wants Fernandez to stay

New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has urged his squad to cultivate a "hunger" for victory in his inaugural press conference since taking the helm. The former Real Madrid manager also voiced his desire for key midfielder Enzo Fernandez to stay with the London club.

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For sure that’s a goal. But to reach that goal, you need to do many right things, and to be part of that process, how do we want to play? How do we want to see ourselves? How do we want to approach a game wherever we go?

Alonso, who has signed a four-year contract, acknowledged that while he is not discussing specific transfer targets for his first season, European qualification remains a primary objective. "For sure that’s a goal," he stated, emphasizing that achieving this requires executing many right actions and defining the team's playing style and approach to games. He expressed eagerness to work with the full squad, noting that early discussions about potential moves are underway.

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That’s my job. That’s why I am really looking forward to having the whole squad. At the moment we have some bids, but early days so far.

"But for sure, we want to be there and time will tell. But we are ambitious and we in Chelsea need to share that energy, that ambition, as well as that hunger to want to have success," Alonso added. He confirmed that he has spoken with Fernandez, though details of their conversation remain private, and unequivocally stated, "Yes," when asked if he wanted the midfielder to remain at Stamford Bridge.

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But for sure, we want to be there and time will tell. But we are ambitious and we in Chelsea need to share that energy, that ambition, as well as that hunger to want to have success.

Alonso stressed the importance of building a strong mentality and culture within the club. While he remained coy about guarantees of time to mount a title challenge, he expressed confidence and optimism for the upcoming season. "What I am sure is that we have the ambition to want to win a lot of games, to be competitive," he said, highlighting the need for important decisions and the establishment of strong principles.

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Yes. But as you can understand, what we have spoken about remains private. But yes, we have spoken.