Published Jun 1, 2026, 7:10 AM GMT+1

Ethan is a feature and opinion journalist at Football FanCast.

He studied Football Journalism at the University of Derby, undertaking roles such as media assistant for Non-League side Mickleover Sports and EFL reporter for VAVEL.

Upon graduating in 2023, Ethan spent six months at GRV Media as a Premier League journalist, before joining FootballFanCast in February 2024.

Ethan is an avid Nottingham Forest supporter and season ticket holder, who also holds a keen interest in Formula One.

He covers a host of sides from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, to Leeds and clubs across the Midlands such as Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. He particularly enjoys producing analytical content.

The 44-year-old managed to win the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen during the 2023/24 campaign, even managing to achieve such a feat whilst going invincible.

However, if he is to get anywhere near a Premier League title battle next season, he will need the hierarchy in West London to listen to his transfer demands.

Whilst he doesn’t take the reins until the 1st of July, the recruitment team appear to have already started the process of identifying new additions ahead of his pending arrival.

Chelsea could hijack Liverpool move for £85m superstar

Given Chelsea’s exploits within the transfer market in recent years, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the hierarchy spend a pretty penny once again this summer.

The midfield department could be bolstered ahead of Alonso’s arrival, with Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes emerging as just one potential transfer target.

It’s been reported in recent days that talks have been held with the Magpies over a possible deal - leading to rumours of a swap-plus-cash move with numerous Blues senior squad members.

However, it appears as though the attacking department could be bolstered during the off-season, as RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande has emerged as a surprise target.

According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea are monitoring the Ivorian’s situation at present and could rival Liverpool for the 19-year-old’s signature in the months ahead.

The report states that Alonso’s former side are leading the race for the winger, but doesn’t rule the Blues out of the running for the in-demand superstar.

A fee in the region of £85m has been mooted to land the youngster this summer, with Leipzig reluctant to offload the attacking star - even offering him a new contract in recent days.

Why Diomande would be Chelsea’s next Eden Hazard

Despite the mammoth investment into Chelsea’s playing squad in recent seasons, no attacker has been able to get close to the levels produced by Eden Hazard at Stamford Bridge.

The Belgian winger arrived as an unknown quantity to many supporters back in 2012, as the Blues forked out a reported £32m to sign the attacker from Lille.

However, the 35-year-old made himself a fan-favourite during his seven years in West London, subsequently helping the Blues win the Premier League title on two occasions.

Hazard racked up a staggering 352 appearances during his time in the capital, netting 110 times and laying on 88 assists - subsequently sitting eighth in the club’s all-time scoring charts.

He left in a deal worth a reported £150m to join Real Madrid back in the summer of 2019, with the huge profit made on his signature only reaffirming his place as one of the club’s best-ever signings.

Alonso will no doubt be wishing he could rely upon such a talent during his tenure with the Blues, but a move for Diomande could hand him a very similar attacking star.

Despite being just 19, the Ivorian has lit up the Bundesliga this term, as seen by his remarkable tally of 12 goals and eight assists in his 33 appearances.

His ability to find the back of the net and provide assists for his teammates is scarily similar to the Belgian - but it’s his underlying stats that demonstrate why the Leipzig star could follow in his footsteps.

Diomande, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by analyst Kevin Hatchard, completed 4.3 successful dribbles per 90 this term - the most of any player in Germany’s top-flight.

His ability to glide past the opposition is something Hazard effortlessly demonstrated with the Blues, which could see the Ivorian be the next player who can get fans off their seats at the Bridge.

His creativity has also caught the eye in Germany, as the teenager managed to provide 2.1 chances per 90 this season - 0.6 of which were defined as big chances.

The latter ranks him in the top 10% of all attackers in Europe throughout 2025/26 - further highlighting the similarity to Hazard who often assumed the role of being the key creator during his spell in England.

Diomande’s end product has been there for all to see in recent months, with only five players managing to register more combined goals and assists in the Bundesliga this season.

Spending £85m on the youngster would be a huge statement from the Blues hierarchy, but it’s a move that could hand Alonso with the calibre of player he needs for success in West London.

Matching Hazard’s achievements at the Bridge would be a near-impossible task, but Diomande has the opportunity to write his own name in the club’s history if he can deliver the goods upon any move.