In an interview with Sky Sports, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso stated that Reece James will continue to serve as captain.
Xabi Alonso confirmed that defender Reece James will remain Chelsea captain and that he hopes Enzo will stay at the club.
Chelsea began their pre-season preparations this week under new head coach Xabi Alonso. Alonso officially took over in May this year, having left Real Madrid earlier this year. However, with some players still participating in the World Cup, the squad he is currently training with is not complete.
Two of his key players – Reece James and Enzo – are not participating in training, as they will represent their respective teams in Wednesday's highly anticipated World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina. However, once Reece James returns, he will continue to wear the captain's armband in the new season.
Reece James, 26, was appointed club captain in August 2023. He came through the Chelsea academy and has been plagued by muscle injuries throughout his time at the Blues. Nevertheless, last season he still made 39 appearances for the team across all competitions and was successfully included in England's World Cup squad.
Speaking about Reece James in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, Alonso said: "He can do everything."
"He can attack from inside and create threats on the flanks. His crossing ability is strong, and his set-pieces are also excellent. He has the DNA of the Blues, which is very important, and we want to pass this spirit on to the whole team and all new players. He will continue to be the team captain."
Currently, Enzo is with Argentina at the World Cup.
The Argentine midfielder joined Chelsea from Benfica in January 2023 for a transfer fee of £106.8 million, setting a new British football transfer record at the time. Last season was also his best year since joining Chelsea, scoring 10 goals and providing 4 assists in 36 Premier League appearances.
This summer, Enzo was linked with rumors of a departure. However, Real Madrid has publicly denied interest in the 25-year-old Argentine international, and Alonso hopes he will stay at the club, revealing that he has spoken with him privately.
Alonso said: "Enzo is a very good player, and we look forward to him returning and starting to work together."
Meanwhile, Alonso also confirmed that winger Garnacho has indeed attracted attention from other clubs.
The 22-year-old did not attend Alonso's first training session this week. Sky Sports previously reported that Chelsea were willing to sell him for £50 million this summer.
According to Sky Sports Italy, Garnacho is also one of the wingers Roma hopes to sign this summer.
Regarding this, Alonso said: "The current situation is that we have communicated with the sporting director, and there are indeed other clubs interested in him."
"Let's see how things develop. I hope that in the end, we can reach an outcome that is best for all parties involved."
Alonso also stated that striker Nicolas Jackson will join Chelsea's Asian pre-season tour after completing his loan spell at Bayern Munich last season. He said: "I am really looking forward to working with Nico then."
Alonso did not make specific predictions for the prospects of his first season managing Chelsea, preferring instead to talk about his football philosophy. However, he emphasized that qualifying for European competition is one of the team's important goals.
He said: "Without a doubt, that is our goal."
"But to achieve that goal, you have to do many things well. We must establish our own way of playing, clarify what we want the team to look like, and wherever we play, we must know how we want to play and how to approach each game."
"That is my job. Therefore, I am very much looking forward to the whole team gathering as soon as possible. We have indeed received some offers, but it is still early days."
"However, we certainly want to achieve this goal. Time will tell. But we are an ambitious team, and at Chelsea, everyone must have the same energy, the same ambition, and a strong desire for success."
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