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Xabi Alonso approved £65m Chelsea bid to sign former Man Utd midfielder
Sep 02 2026 12:50 · By Louis Sealey · 2 Reads
Chelsea almost signed a new midfielder on deadline day (Picture: Getty)
Xabi Alonso gave Chelsea his backing over a shock £65m bid to sign England midfielder James Garner on transfer deadline day, according to reports.
Chelsea were working on deals for a number of midfielders on deadline day as Enzo Fernandez closed in on a move to Manchester City.
The Blues held talks with Roma for France World Cup star Manu Kone and thought they had agreed a deal with Monaco for Lamine Camara.
Progress in the Camara pursuit led Chelsea to sanction Fernandez’s move to the Etihad Stadium for a staggering £125m – the joint-highest fee paid in Premier League history.
But talks with Monaco then broke down meaning Camara stayed put and Alonso failed to sign a replacement for Fernandez.
As well as looking at Camara and Kone, Chelsea were also linked with deadline-day moves for Alex Scott, Martin Zubimendi and Morgan Gibbs-White.