Spaniard Xabi Alonso, the new manager of Chelsea, declined to comment on reports linking his club to a change in transfer policy and an interest in signing experienced players such as Danny Welbeck (35) and Jordan Henderson (36).
His side had just thumped Western Sydney Wanderers 6-4 in his first pre-season friendly. Afterwards, the manager insisted he wants to build a "complete squad".
Alonso addressed the transfer reports, telling the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo": "I am certain that from today until the last day of the transfer window there will be many rumours, and I will not comment on them all." He also admitted the team need to strengthen and fast, saying: "We certainly need the right balance in terms of the quality of players, the positions, and the overall balance of the team."
The 44-year-old set out his vision for the weeks ahead: "We want to have a complete squad and to build a good team. We have an idea and a plan to achieve that, and we will see how we assemble the pieces of this project in preparation for the start of the Premier League."
Six goals showcased Chelsea's attacking threat in Alonso's first match at the helm. But the defensive errors were glaring. Asked whether experience would lift the team's level on the evidence of that performance, Alonso replied: "Everyone is required to learn, it does not matter whether you are young or have great experience, that is what happens in the world of football and it is a quality you always need."
He went on, quoted by the "BBC": "You can be quick, or good at dribbling, but you also need game intelligence to make the right decisions. We have to improve quickly in every aspect because the competitive fixtures will begin in about a month and we want to be fully prepared, as managing matches correctly is extremely important in modern football."
Chelsea have moved quickly this summer. The club have completed the signing of forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for 117 million pounds and defender Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace, while full-back Marco Palestra arrived from Atalanta and made his debut in Sydney.
Alonso found room for praise too, even as he pointed to poor "match management" and a failure to counter the opponent's tactics. He hailed substitute forward João Pedro, who scored a hat-trick in just 10 minutes, describing him as "very hungry to score". He also explained the absence of Roméo Lavia, confirming that "there is no need to take a risk" after the midfielder felt some pain in his hamstring.