Chelsea have made signing players with a strong mentality one of the key aims of the 2026 summer transfer window, and have already dodged a bullet with Germany’s Nathaniel Brown.
It was reported that Chelsea were considering Brown as a replacement for Marc Cucurella, although he is now set for a move to Bayern Munich.
He has been a regular in the Germany side at the World Cup, who were eliminated in shock fashion by Paraguay on penalties in the Round of 32.
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Chelsea dodged a bullet not signing Germany’s Nathaniel Brown
Jonathan Tah took the decisive sixth penalty, although reports from BILD have stated that he only stepped up because no one else could stomach the pressure of a sudden-death penalty.
This group of players included Brown, and sums up the mindset Chelsea are looking to avoid when it comes to potential new signings this summer.
It has been one of the biggest accusations of this Blues side that they crumble under pressure, and their record in domestic finals would suggest that to be true.
Chelsea have lost their last seven finals at Wembley, including last season against Manchester City where many thought the opposition were there for the taking.
Capitulations in away games at hostile venues such as Elland Road, The AMEX and The Hill Dickinson Stadium had a significant impact last season, with them clearly missing leaders on the pitch.
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The Blues are already looking at signing a number of players who fit the narrative of having a leader at the club, an area they have neglected of late.
There is a desire from Alonso to sign Granit Xhaka from Sunderland, and there must be an argument to even hand him the captain’s armband following another Reece James injury.
Optimism remains that Chelsea can also bring in Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace, who has a number of years of Premier League experience under his belt.
He has also frequently been praised for his mentality, and would be a superb addition to the Chelsea side that Brown would not have been.
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