After finishing 10th in the Premier League standings last season under then-head coach Liam Rosenior, Chelsea are determined to right the ship under Xabi Alonso. In the past few days, Chelsea have picked up their transfer activity, as they hope to improve their Premier League 2026 odds. Overall, having no European football next season could be a blessing in disguise for Alonso, as he can use the extra days to implement his tactics in his retooled squad.
Elsewhere, Manchester City formally introduced Enzo Maresca as their next head coach, replacing the outgoing Pep Guardiola. However, the Italian manager has already been dealt a bad hand in the middle of the park. And on the red side of Manchester, the Red Devils just had an eventful day in Trondheim, Norway.
Learn more about the latest Premier League 2026 updates here at SBOTOP.
Chelsea having a considerable roster turnover
Chelsea have seen some serious roster turnover in the past few weeks, as they’ve sold Tyrique George, Marc Cucurella, and Andrey Santos to Everton, Real Madrid, and Manchester United, respectively, while loaning Alejandro Garnacho to Aston Villa. In return, they acquired Denner, Emmanuel Emegha, Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra, Maxence Lacroix, and Morgan Rogers – whom they acquired for more than €130 million.
Cucurella’s departure from Stamford Bridge was surprising for the Blues fans since he’s one of the best defenders, but Palestra’s arrival can help fill the void, and this will open up more minutes for Malo Gusto. The same can’t be said for Alejandro Garnacho, who has fallen out of favour just a year after leaving Manchester United.
Quenda and Rogers add to their firepower, although Rogers plays similarly to Cole Palmer. Nicolas Jackson returns after his loan stint with Bayern Munich – who weren’t keen to bring him back next term. Parting ways with Santos could hurt Chelsea in the long run. However, they still have Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Romeo Lavia. Maxence Lacroix adds another big body at the back.
Despite these moves, the Blues may be far from done. They are favourites to sign Bosnia and Herzegovina attacking midfielder Kerim Alajbegovic from Bayer Leverkusen, and they’re also planning to sell Axel Disasi, with Crystal Palace and AS Roma as his suitors.
Manchester City suffer huge injury blow
During Enzo Maresca’s introductory press conference, the Italian manager confirmed that the Sky Blues will be without Rodri at the start of the 2026-27 season. The 30-year-old midfielder is set to have back surgery after leading Spain to its second World Cup triumph, winning the tournament’s Golden Ball award in the process, despite having zero goal contributions.
It’s a huge blow for Manchester City because Rodri has been invaluable in the past few seasons. However, maybe we should have seen this coming, as he hasn’t been the same since he tore his ACL two seasons ago and dealt with hamstring and groin injuries in 2025-26.
Furthermore, Rodri has been repeatedly linked with a sensational move to Real Madrid, as he previously expressed a desire to return to his home country at some point in his career. He is entering the final year of his current contract with Manchester City, and he hasn’t reportedly shown a willingness to extend his stay at the Etihad.
Rodri’s expiring contract will undoubtedly cast a cloud over the Etihad. Moreover, with Rodri on the sidelines, Elliot Anderson is expected to fill the void in midfield. The 23-year-old joined Manchester City after the club paid around £116 million to pry him away from Nottingham Forest.
Manchester United deliver five-star performance in friendly
After losing 1-0 to Wrexham to open their preseason, Manchester United bounced back in a big way by pummeling Rosenborg 5-0 earlier today. Head coach Michael Carrick witnessed some fine performances from his academy youngsters, as Shea Lacey, Jacob Devaney, Harry Amass, and Ethan Williams were on the scoresheet. Joshua Zirkzee was the only senior player who also found the back of the net.
Before the game, Carrick raised eyebrows when he named the highly-rated JJ Gabriel in the Red Devils’ 25-man travelling squad. However, the 15-year-old was made to wait for his senior bow.
Leny Yoro and Mason Mount also deserve plaudits for showing up for Manchester United so far this preseason, and new boy Andrey Santos has shown glimpses of his full potential too. Manchester United will face stiffer competition in their next four matches, as they’ll take on Atletico Madrid, PSG, Leeds United, and AC Milan before opening their top-flight campaign at Hull City.
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