Chelsea are scrambling to plug the Enzo Fernández-shaped hole in their midfield – and they may turn to a familiar Premier League face to do it.
On a deadline day that shook Stamford Bridge, Chelsea sanctioned Fernández’s record £125million move to Manchester City, only to see their planned replacement, Monaco’s Lamine Camara, slip through their fingers. The deal never materialised. The window slammed shut. And Xabi Alonso was left short in the very area he can least afford to be.
Now the new Chelsea head coach is looking at the one market still open to him: free agents. At the top of that list sits Georginio Wijnaldum.
Alonso turns to experience
According to Foot Mercato, Chelsea have made contact with Wijnaldum, offering the 35-year-old a route back into the Premier League. It would be a striking move on several levels.
Wijnaldum, who left Liverpool in 2021 after five highly successful seasons, is currently without a club following his departure from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq in the summer. For Alonso, that status is crucial. With no transfer fee and an urgent need for know-how in the middle of the pitch, the Dutchman represents a ready-made, short-term solution.
He also knows this league inside out. Wijnaldum played for both Newcastle and Liverpool, racking up 277 appearances in English football. He became a cornerstone of Jürgen Klopp’s midfield, winning the Premier League title in 2020 at Anfield and scoring a string of important goals along the way.
His most recent season at Al-Ettifaq underlined that he still carries a threat: 17 goals in 34 outings. It was not enough to secure a new deal in Saudi Arabia, but it was more than enough to remind European clubs that he remains an effective operator.
A midfield suddenly exposed
Alonso’s early weeks at Chelsea have been defined by tactical change and bold selection calls. Romeo Lavia has started both games in central midfield as the Spaniard stamps his philosophy on the side. Around him, Alonso has experimented, using Reece James and Cole Palmer in midfield roles, while Fernández sat out amid mounting speculation over his future.
Once the Argentine’s move to City accelerated, Chelsea were left trying to do two jobs at once: manage a blockbuster exit and line up a replacement under intense time pressure. They managed the first. They missed on the second.
The consequences are clear. With the season only just underway, Alonso’s midfield options already look thin. Moisés Caicedo, signed for £115m and expected to be a pillar of the new project, limped off on Sunday, adding another layer of concern in a department that should have been a strength.
The pressure finally told in the transfer market. With no deals possible now, the club’s recruitment team have pivoted to experience, reliability and availability. Wijnaldum ticks all three boxes.
Alonso’s stance and the next move
After Chelsea’s wild 4-3 win over Brighton, Alonso was asked directly about Fernández and the late-window uncertainty. He kept his message tight and pragmatic.
“We will see. We want the best for team. If anything that will happen or develop, we are not sure. We are preparing for all the scenarios, but I know that from Wednesday, we have a team to challenge and I want to win,” he said.
Those words now frame the Wijnaldum move. This is about covering scenarios. About ensuring that, even after losing a World Cup winner and watching a record signing hobble off, Chelsea still have the tools to compete in the middle of the pitch.
For Wijnaldum, the offer would be a dramatic return to the stage where he built his reputation, from his early days driving Newcastle’s midfield to his peak years anchoring Liverpool’s press. For Chelsea, it would be a calculated gamble on a veteran who has already proved he can handle the demands of English football at the very top.
The question now is simple: in a squad built on youth, data and long-term upside, will Chelsea trust a 35-year-old to steady the heart of Alonso’s new era?
