Chelsea transfer news: Here’s the number doing the rounds in West London: €120 million. Xabi Alonso reportedly wants Chelsea to spend it, and he wants it spent on two men from the same dressing room. Who are they? Stick around, because the answer says plenty about how he wants his side to play.

The pair Alonso is chasing

According to El Nacional, the pair are Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong and right back Jules Koundé. De Jong, 29, is a Dutchman who dribbles out of tight spaces as if pressure doesn’t exist. Koundé, 27, plays right back and centre back for France, wins his duels, and stays calm when matches turn frantic.

Does he suit Alonso’s system?

Alonso loves a side that keeps the ball patiently and then strikes fast. De Jong does that in his sleep. Koundé matters even more, because Alonso has used a back three, and Koundé can play on the right of it or wide in a four. Right now, Marco Palestra, Reece James and Josh Acheampong share that side. James keeps picking up knocks, while Palestra is still learning the English game. In the middle, Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández run things.

Chelsea transfer news: Can Alonso fix midfield and right back at Chelsea?

Yes, but not with one cheque. Koundé is the easy call. James can’t stay fit, Palestra is raw, and Alonso needs a right-sided defender who has won big matches. Reports say Barcelona want around €50 million, and Koundé has barely started under Hansi Flick, so a January deal makes sense. The catch? He reportedly wants to stay in Catalonia, so Alonso must sell him the project personally.

De Jong is trickier. Caicedo and Enzo already cover the middle well, and a 29-year-old on big wages could block younger lads. Still, his calmness would help a young squad that panics in tight games, and he’d take pressure off Enzo.

Age matters too. Koundé turns 28 next month, yet he can still give four or five strong seasons, and his versatility lets Alonso switch shape mid-game without a substitution. De Jong would speed up our build-up, but Alonso must decide whether control matters more than the energy Caicedo and Enzo bring.

I’d sign Koundé without hesitation and think hard about De Jong. Spending €120m on two players nearing thirty isn’t how Chelsea have worked lately, and their resale value drops fast.