Xabi Alonso is believed to be in regular contact with one of his former Real Madrid players as he prepares to make his first signings as Chelsea manager.
After months of reports linking him as a replacement for Arne Slott at Liverpool, it was confirmed that Alonso had agreed to become Chelsea manager, taking up the role from July 1.
The Spanish coach has signed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge and is expected to take a much more direct and active approach to managing the club than previous managers.
With that in mind, many fans have wondered which players Alonso will target as his first signings as Chelsea manager, with several names already being linked with the club.
Of course, given that he comes to Chelsea after managing Real Madrid until he was sacked in January, many Chelsea fans are hoping that Alonso can convince some of the Spanish club's stars to move to London.
And it seems there is one player Alonso dreams of signing, as it has been confirmed that he continues to exchange messages regularly with highly-rated midfielder Arda Guler.
Before Alonso's arrival at Real Madrid, Guleri had been linked with a move away from the club, having struggled to secure regular minutes under previous coaches.
But under Alonso's guidance, the Turkish international became a key player in the Real Madrid team.
He only started 24 La Liga games during his first two seasons with Real, but this season he recorded 25 league starts, although an injury sidelined him towards the end of the season.
In total, Guleri played 2,090 minutes in 34 appearances in all competitions under Alonso, scoring four goals and providing 10 assists.
And it's clear that this belief in the young talent helped the pair build a strong relationship, with the 21-year-old recently wishing Alonso well at Chelsea, while confirming that they continue to keep in regular contact.
"Honestly, we had a brilliant relationship. I felt like he had handed me the keys," Guleri told Turkish media outlet TRT Spor.
"It was exactly what I was looking for, honestly. Now he has signed for Chelsea. I hope everything goes well for him. Of course, we still exchange messages with each other," he added.
At the moment, Guleri is valued at around €90m, but with his current contract with Real Madrid expiring in the summer of 2029, it is almost certain that the La Liga club would demand more than €115m (£100m) to let him leave.
When he arrives at Chelsea, Alonso is expected to implement some key changes to the way the club is run, with the hope that his greater involvement will help the team return to the Champions League in the 2027/28 season.
During his interview, Guleri further explained what it's like to play under the Spanish coach, admitting that it didn't take him long to be convinced by his way of managing such a big club.
"After the match against Bayern Munich [in the Champions League quarter-finals], he told me he was very proud of me," the Turkish talent added.
"I was very happy when I saw the message. I hope God makes his path easy. I think he is a great coach," the Turk added.
Explaining Alonso's tactics, he added: "When he calls you into his office and explains something about tactics, it's very difficult not to be convinced. He knows exactly what you're capable of. He knows exactly what he can offer you. In other words, he's a man who probably wakes up every day thinking about how to improve a player, how to communicate with him. Before our first game, when I was in the starting line-up, he said to me that morning: 'I want you to touch the ball more than anyone on your right.' When you hear something like that, it doesn't take much to be convinced."/Express newspaper/
t7 live
