Xabi Alonso told £34m Chelsea signing is ‘not ready’ for the Premier League | Football

Steve Nicol believes one of Xabi Alonso’s summer signings is ‘not ready’ to start for Chelsea following a poor performance in the 3-0 loss at Brentford.

Chelsea were humiliated by their west London rivals on Friday night, failing to score for the first time this season while their defensive woes continued.

The Blues have now conceded 12 goals in five games, more than any other Premier League side, and some have suggested their lack of midfield grit is the problem.

With Enzo Fernandez sold and not replaced, Reece James and Moises Caicedo injured and Romeo Lavia only fit enough for the bench, Alonso fielded Valentin Barco and debutant Jordan Henderson against Brentford.

While Alonso praised Henderson’s impact, Nicol was unimpressed with Barco’s anonymous performance and is ‘concerned’ about Chelsea’s midfield options.

‘When you lose a goal, the guts of your team are the ones that have to go around everybody, particularly Henderson,’ the Liverpool legend said on ESPN after the match.

‘And unfortunately, it looks as though Barco isn’t ready quite yet to be starting in that midfield because I don’t really remember him particularly impressing on any part of the game.

‘His passing wasn’t incredible. He certainly doesn’t scare you physically. I don’t know how quick he gets around the ground because it didn’t look today as though he was quick.

‘So, I’m not sure what his strength is. Certainly, I never saw any strength today. Henderson did okay, but when I’m looking for a response, I want the middle of the field to be as strong as any other part.

‘And the middle of the field for me is the part of the team that has to drive everybody forward, whether it’s getting the ball or stopping the opposition and I didn’t really see that, certainly in the second-half I didn’t.

‘Barco is only young, he’s only 22. But when we watch the game, we can only go on that. We can’t give everybody a pass. At the end of the day, none of that was there.’

Chelsea signed Barco from fellow BlueCo owned club Strasbourg for £34million after he helped Argentina reach the final of 2026 World Cup.

This was the 22-year-old’s first start for the Blues in the Premier League having recently impressed in the Carabao Cup, getting a goal and an assist against Leeds United.

Contrary to Nicol, former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf believes Barco is talented enough to play at Stamford Bridge, saying that calls for Alonso to sign a new midfielder are ‘pretty harsh to Barco and Henderson’.

‘I think they’re very good midfielders and if they keep on playing because of the injuries to Caicedo and James, they can settle down and be good enough for Chelsea.

‘They’ve shown it in the past. I saw Barco playing for Strasbourg, of course in a different league, a different level, but the guy is part of the Argentinian national team, so he has proven that he has the talent to play for Chelsea.

‘So, I’m not really concerned about that. That was one game and I didn’t feel that it was because of the midfielders that we were in danger, that’s more defensively.’

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