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Xabi Alonso approved £65m Chelsea bid to sign former Man Utd midfielder
Sep 02 2026 12:47 · By Louis Sealey · 14 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 .
According to talkSPORT , Chelsea also made a late bid for Garner but were knocked back by Premier League rivals Everton.
Everton and England midfielder James Garner (Picture: Getty)
Garner, a product of the Manchester United academy, has made over 100 appearances for Everton since leaving Old Trafford in 2022.
The 25-year-old was handed his England debut by Thomas Tuchel earlier this season but failed to make the Three Lions’ World Cup squad .
It is claimed Alonso approved Chelsea’s move for Garner, who can play at right-back as well as in midfield, but Everton were unwilling to entertain any offers so close to the transfer deadline.