Former Chelsea forward Joe Cole has called on the club to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva as a key addition for incoming manager Xabi Alonso.
Alonso will officially take charge at Stamford Bridge in July on a four-year deal. He arrives facing major challenges after Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season and missed out on European qualification.
Cole believes Chelsea need to move away from their youth-heavy recruitment and bring in experienced players to stabilize the squad. Speaking to Metro, he singled out Silva as the ideal free-agent target this summer.
“You look at someone like Ibou Konate; it appears he is heading to Real Madrid, but that would have been an ideal fit,” Cole said. “Robert Lewandowski is another player still available. Bernardo Silva is still on the market and is the one I prefer.”
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He compared Silva’s potential impact to Jordan Henderson’s influence at Brentford, arguing that senior players on short-term deals could lift the team. Cole suggested Chelsea should target two or three experienced signings on one or two-year contracts to guide the younger core.
Cole also stressed that Alonso must have real control as manager if Chelsea want to succeed. He pointed to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, and Pep Guardiola at Man City as examples of managers who drove success because they were in charge.
One of Alonso’s early decisions could involve the futures of Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella, both currently at the World Cup with uncertainty over their long-term roles at the club.
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