Xabi Alonso's dream Chelsea superteam including five new signings and four major casualties

Chelsea could end 2025-26 with a trophy but have endured another disappointing and chaotic season.

The Blues have had two permanent managers and are working on hiring their next, with caretaker Callum McFarlane preparing to lead them in Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley.

Chelsea are ninth in the Premier League table thanks to a disastrous run of form. Their only route back into the Champions League is to snatch sixth place, itself a big challenge with two matches to go, and to hope Aston Villa finish fifth and win their Europa League final against Freiburg next week.

After achieving a poor outcome from moving Liam Rosenior over from Strasbourg, the Blues owners must get their next appointment right. Former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is understood to among their top targets.

The Spaniard would be expected to adapt his methods to the players he had available but has enjoyed his greatest success with various executions of a fluid 3-4-2-1 system. If nothing else, it makes sketching out a Chelsea dream team a lot of fun. So, let's go with that.

Goalkeeper - Gregor Kobel

Chelsea's goalkeeping issues are deep-rooted and widely documented. Robert Sanchez was an expensive acquisition from Brighton & Hove Albion but a new stopper will be at or near the top of the Blues' summer shopping list. One of the possible signings linked most frequently with a switch to Stamford Bridge is Gregor Kobel, Borussia Dortmund's 28-year-old number one.

The Swiss international is well known to Alonso, having spent his entire playing career in Germany.

Defence - Marcos Senesi, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill

There seems little chance of Marc Cucurella losing his place but he and Malo Gusto could find themselves falling between two stalls if Alonso were to look seriously at a back three. Reece James is a proven entity further up the pitch but Cucurella as a left winger isn't going to solve much for the listing West London outfit.

If Trevoh Chalobah is truly ready to come of age and lead the back line, and if Levi Colwill can stay fit, a marquee centre-back signing would complete a formidable unit.

There aren't many better than Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi, who has been linked with Chelsea but would presumably be tempted to stay on the south coast if the Cherries make the Champions League.

Midfield - Reece James, Pablo Barrios, Moises Caicedo, Said El Mala

Some Chelsea fans will be keen to see the back of midfielder Enzo Fernandez, whose comments about where he'd like to live in the future were seemingly innocent enough but were naive and a little uncaptainly – and not for the first time.

Moises Caicedo is the immovable presence around whom the Chelsea midfield must be built, while skipper James taking up permanent residence on the right means the divisive and inconsistent Pedro Neto could join Fernandez on the outside.

The Blues have been credited with an interest in a possible midfield foil for Caicedo and a left-sided prospect to complete the four.

The former, Atletico Madrid's Pablo Barrios, has serious potential and a stratospheric release clause. Even if Chelsea were to tempt him to the Premier League without triggering that, he'd cost a significant fee just for starters.

German teenager Said El Mala has enjoyed a breakthrough season with Cologne, reportedly attracting the attention of Chelsea. Anthony Gordon is apparently on the radar too. Signing him would be very Chelsea.

Attack - Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers

Estevao is Chelsea's attacking future but he's young and injured, which means the Blues will likely make an attacking move in the summer with a view to protecting and developing the Brazilian in the coming years.

Striker Joao Pedro has been a rare high point in the Blues' season, scoring 15 Premier League goals to date. Chelsea might well look to sign a striker in the summer but it would take some talent to unseat the team's top scorer.

Cole Palmer has been linked with a move away but one assumes Chelsea would prefer to keep him. If they do, he'll be starting regularly for the foreseeable future.

He could be doing so alongside his friend Morgan Rogers. The Villa attacking midfielder was heavily linked with the Blues last summer and Villa might be motivated sellers for the kind of fee that would help to bring their financial regulatory situation under control.

Chelsea dream line-up (Line-Up Builder)