Rogers announcement shows Chelsea have already changed under Alonso

It is a simple photograph but one that should fire up optimism in every Chelsea fan out there, with Xabi Alonso and Morgan Rogers lighting up the room with their smiles. Alonso and Rogers - not a sporting director in sight.

So many of the myriad signings made during this ownership’s tenure have seemed like business enterprises rather than footballing enterprises. So many have seemed like projects dreamt up by the moneymen and agents, having nothing to do with the man who needs to put a decent team out on the pitch.

But the £117million acquisition of Rogers seems like a pure footballing move, driven by Alonso, who is the manager AND the coach. If they tempt John Stones to Stamford Bridge, it will be a pure footballing move, just as it will be if they buy Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.

This is Alonso making his mark. The only thing you can see Rogers doing under the guidance of Alonso - one of the most accomplished midfielders the Premier League has seen - is flourishing.

It might well have been a fairly crude psychological ploy to provoke a reaction from the Real Madrid man but there was a time when Thomas Tuchel preferred Rogers to Jude Bellingham. And Rogers never let Tuchel down. Rogers never let England down.

Rogers turns 24 on Sunday and has plenty of developing to do, especially now he will be in harness with great friend, Cole Palmer. Rogers’ words on Palmer were more reasons for supporter optimism.

“He is non-stop ringing my phone, texting me, and I can’t wait. I think that’s probably the most special thing, playing with one of your best friends and being around him every day. It’s something I’m really excited about.”

And something Chelsea fans should be very excited about, not least for the fact that it underlines Palmer’s commitment to the club, which was not always taken for granted by sections of the fanbase.

Chelsea are also one of the clubs bidding for the services of Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, who would be a hugely dependable replacement for Enzo Fernandez if they can get a nine-figure fee for the Argentinian.

Rogers, possibly Stones, possibly Scott - these are established Premier League performers. Obviously, the fee for Rogers is on the big side, to say the least. But Rogers brings a versatility that Alonso will love.

If Alonso uses the back-three system that served him so well at Bayer Leverkusen, there could be the mouthwatering prospect of Palmer and Rogers lining up as dual number 10s. In 55 appearances for Aston Villa last season, Rogers contributed 14 goals and 12 assists.

Across his last two seasons, Rogers has 18 Premier League goals and 16 Premier League assists. Those are very good numbers.

A lucrative seven-year deal obviously had a lot to do with Rogers’ choice of club but it is also clear that working with the manager had something to do with it. There can be no doubt Alonso is a draw-card for potential signings and knowing Chelsea, there will be more of those this summer.

There will also be plenty of outgoings, all of whom will be shipped out with Alonso’s blessing. In other words, it will be good, conventional transfer market business for a good, conventional manager.

He has not managed a game yet but the immediate impact of Alonso’s arrival has been to make a dysfunctional club look like a functional challenger once again. How Alonso and Chelsea actually perform in terms of performance and results remains to be seen but it will be one of the Premier League’s more compelling narratives, that is for sure.