Gus Poyet says James and Gusto cannot fix Alonso’s midfield woes

At Stamford Bridge, former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet warned that Reece James and Malo Gusto are no solution to Xabi Alonso’s midfield dilemma, as the Blues scramble for a replacement after Manchester City’s £120 million purchase of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez and a collapsed £47 million Lamine Camara deal.

Midfield options under scrutiny

Poyet, who spent four years at Stamford Bridge, told Metro via Gambling.com that converting right‑backs into central midfielders “doesn’t work for Alonso at Chelsea”. He cited Pep Guardiola’s experiment with Philipp Lahm as a rare case and argued that James and Gusto cannot become regular midfielders.

He added, “With Caicedo’s injury, we don’t know what the outcome of that will be. With Lavia — he’s not playing normally, he’s a player who gets injured a lot, so he’s in and out,” highlighting the limited pool of fit players.

Transfer hopes and setbacks

Chelsea’s hopes of signing a replacement for Enzo Fernandez intensified after the club accepted Manchester City’s £120 million offer for the Argentina international on deadline day, leaving Xabi Alonso short‑handed just two games into the season. The deal marked the biggest outgoing transfer for the Blues this summer.

A potential £47 million signing of Lamine Camara from Monaco collapsed at the eleventh hour, meaning the Blues missed out on a fresh midfield option as the transfer window closed. Camara’s arrival had been billed as a long‑term solution to the midfield vacancy.

Meanwhile, Moises Caicedo, who was forced off after eleven minutes against Brighton, remains doubtful for the upcoming clash with Arsenal at the Emirates, while Romeo Lavia has started both opening games despite a troubled injury record of only seventeen Premier League starts in three years. His limited appearances underline the scarcity of reliable options for the manager.

New recruit Valentin Barco is now available, and Jordan Henderson is nearing full fitness, offering Alonso additional choices should his midfield woes persist. Both players could be deployed to stabilise the centre of the park.

The remarks were illustrated by a Picture: Sports Press Photo/Shutterstock image of the Chelsea squad training, underscoring the club’s current challenges. The visual captures the Blues’ uneasy atmosphere ahead of their next fixture.