Speaking to El Chiringuito TV in his first public comments since being confirmed as Chelsea manager last weekend, Alonso was typically composed when pressed on a series of issues that would give most incoming managers pause — the club's eighth-place league finish, the prospect of no European football and reports linking key players including Enzo Fernández, João Pedro and Marc Cucurella to Barcelona and Real Madrid.
When asked about the player exit speculation directly, his response was brief and deliberate.
"We're going to make a good team."
On the absence of European football, which had fuelled suggestions in some quarters that he might have hesitated before accepting the role, he was equally direct.
"No, I was always open to it. It's a beautiful project. Chelsea is a nice project, it's a very good option."
Alonso was also asked about his brief, largely unsuccessful stint at Real Madrid — he left the Bernabéu in January after just eight months, during which the club lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona and fell behind them in La Liga. He declined to go there.
"Real Madrid? No, no, no. I cannot say anything."
Chelsea gave Alonso the title of manager rather than head coach — a specific distinction that reflects the greater degree of operational control he demanded and was granted compared to predecessors Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. He officially begins work on July 1 but preparations at Cobham are already under way behind the scenes.
Chelsea sit eighth with one match remaining but could yet secure European football. Tuesday's 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, which all but confirmed Spurs' survival, left the Blues fighting for the final two European spots alongside Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford and Sunderland heading into the final-day fixture at the Stadium of Light. Aston Villa's Europa League victory on Wednesday — which means they qualify for the Champions League via their league position — effectively freed up a European League spot, boosting Chelsea's chances further.
Alonso guided Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal in his debut senior management season, becoming the first manager in German football history to go unbeaten across an entire Bundesliga campaign. He arrives at Chelsea as the most decorated appointment the club has made in the BlueCo era, with the task of restoring a squad with considerable individual talent to consistent European contention.