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Chelsea
Summary

Chelsea's summer rebuild under Xabi Alonso is taking shape, with the club's first confirmed signing setting the tone for what promises to be a significant overhaul at Stamford Bridge. The £47 million acquisition of 21-year-old Italian full-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta signals Alonso's intent to build a younger, more dynamic squad capable of challenging higher than the tenth-place Premier League finish Chelsea managed last season.

Palestra, named Serie A Defender of the Year following an impressive loan spell at Cagliari, was poised to join Inter Milan before Chelsea moved quickly to secure his signature. The versatile defender fits Alonso's preferred back-three or back-four systems and can operate on either flank, giving the new manager tactical flexibility from the outset.

The transfer activity cuts both ways, though. Enzo Fernandez's agent has confirmed the World Cup-winning midfielder is exploring a move away from the club, with links to Real Madrid adding weight to the uncertainty. Malo Gusto has reportedly agreed personal terms with Manchester City, potentially following former boss Enzo Maresca to the Etihad. Chelsea's public statement attacking Maresca after his City appointment underlined the tension surrounding his departure.

Alonso has also seen an opening bid for Sunderland's Granit Xhaka rejected, with the Scottish club labelling the offer unacceptable. Chelsea face a pre-season friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers on July 28 as Alonso continues assembling his squad before the new campaign begins.

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Standings

Premier League crestPremier League

PosTeamPWDLFA+/-PTSForm
4Brentford crestBrentford00000000
5Brighton & Hove Albion crestBrighton & Hove Albion00000000
6Chelsea crestChelsea00000000
7Coventry City crestCoventry City00000000
8Crystal Palace crestCrystal Palace00000000
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Frequently asked questions

Chelsea were founded on March 10, 1905, following Gus Mears' acquisition of the Stamford Bridge in 1904. Several names were put up for consideration: Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC, and London FC. However, all these names were rejected and the name Chelsea F.C. was finally selected.

Chelsea are co-owned by an American consortium consisting of Todd Boehly, Mark Walter. Hansjorg Wyss, and Behdad Eghbali-led Clearlake Capital. Boehly, Walter, and Wyss each own a 12.8% stake in the club, while Clearlake Capital are the majority shareholder with a 61.5% stake.

Chelsea's stadium is known as the Stamford Bridge and has been the club's home venue ever since their inception in 1905. Interestingly, the Stamford Bridge was owned by a separate company after businessman Ken Bates bought the club in the 1980s, when they were on the verge of bankruptcy and stuck in the second division. In 1992, however, after a long-fought legal battle and a 'Save The Bridge' campaign from the fans, Chelsea regained ownership of the stadium.

The Stamford Bridge has a capacity of around 40,000.

Chelsea have won an impressive 32 trophies throughout their history, including two Champions League titles and six English top-flight titles.

Chelsea have won the English top flight on six occasions, with their most recent title coming at the end of the 2016-17 season.

Legendary defender Ron Harris holds the record for making the most appearances for Chelsea, featuring for the club in 795 games, ahead of Peter Bonetti and John Terry. The latter two are the only other players along with Harris to make over 700 appearances for the club.

Frank Lampard, arguably the greatest Chelsea player ever, is the club's leading goalscorer of all-time, netting the ball into the net 211 times in 648 games. The fact that he was a midfielder makes the feat all the more impressive.

Didier Drogba, John Terry, Eden Hazard, Claude Makelele, Arjen Robben, Petr Cech, Michael Ballack, and David Luiz are some of the most famous players to have represented Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti, and Maurizio Sarri are among the biggest managerial names to have been a part of Chelsea's eminent history.

Chelsea are called The Blues, which is a reference to the colour of their kit since the early 20th century.