Newly-appointed Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has stepped up his tactical preparations at Cobham, overseeing a series of high intensity training drills with his playing squad.
The 44-year-old former Liverpool midfielder and Real Madrid boss has enjoyed a highly productive start, working closely with backroom staff to establish clear behavioural and physical benchmarks.
The sessions have provided Alonso with a firsthand look at marquee summer signing Geovany Quenda, who recently finalised a permanent £40 million transfer from Sporting CP.
The 19-year-old Portuguese youth international has put pen to paper on a long term contract running until 2034, expressing immense excitement regarding the opportunity to develop his explosive wide attributes under Alonso's guidance.
Chelsea have been highly proactive in the early weeks of the trading window, balancing Quenda's arrival alongside Italian right back Marco Palestra, who joined from Atalanta.
Concurrently, the Blues permitted veteran defender Marc Cucurella to join Real Madrid and sanctioned the sale of Tyrique George to Everton.
Alonso is focusing his immediate attention on building up player stamina through detailed possession charts, looking to maximize squad readiness before the group travels for their overseas promotional fixtures.
