2026-27 season preview: Chelsea

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is over, and that means one thing: the return of global club soccer.

The 2026-27 European season kicks off across the continent in mid-August. Spain's La Liga returned on Saturday, Aug. 15; England's Premier League and France's Ligue 1 will return on Friday, Aug. 21; Italy's Serie A will return on Saturday, Aug. 22 and Germany's Bundesliga will return on Friday, Aug. 28.

The world's top clubs have been busy since the end of the World Cup. But what are their stories? How did they perform last season? Which players have they signed and sold to prepare for this one? And what will success look like for them throughout this new campaign?

We're breaking down Europe's top teams in advance of the 2026-27 season. We've covered Paris Saint-Germain, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona — next up is wild-card team Chelsea.

How did things go for Chelsea last season?

Badly. Very, very badly. Coach Enzo Maresca's reign ended in acrimony in January after a bust-up between him and the club's leadership; highly touted replacement Liam Rosenior crashed and burned after just four months in the job. By the time the season was over, Chelsea was adrift in 10th place, the club's best players were miserable and the team's best-liked and most-respected coach was interim leader Calum MacFarlane. It was a shocking state of affairs for one of the world's richest clubs.

Chelsea did something fascinating in the offseason, though: It signed Xabi Alonso, himself a veteran of an explosive club situation with Real Madrid, to lead the team in the future. Alonso is a well-regarded figure in international management and one who is widely believed to be better than what he showed in Spain; bringing him into Chelsea's fold was a gamble that could pay off for both parties.

What will success look like for Chelsea this season?

A top-four finish and a manager who lasts the season. That's it. It's an eminently achievable goal but one Chelsea came nowhere near in 2025-26. It has a solid young leader in Alonso, a fearsome roster featuring the likes of Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Estevao and Reece James, and a weakened field of competitors now that Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Spurs are all in transition. If Chelsea can find the clinical edge that eluded it in 2025-26 it could be a genuine threat to the Premier League this season.

Which players have arrived?

Not too many; Chelsea's massive spending spree from 2023 and 2024 has kept its roster relatively fixed. Its two big acquisitions, though — Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers and Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix — are two Premier League veterans whose transfers hurt Chelsea's direct competitors while helping it grow in turn. They should work out to be excellent purchases.

Which players have departed?

Polemic defender Marc Cucurella, fresh off a World Cup-winning appearance with Spain this summer, has returned to his home country to play for Real Madrid. Center back Trevoh Chalobah has decamped to Como in Serie A; winger Alejandro Garnacho has left for Aston Villa.