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Several of Chelsea's signings during the BlueCo era have seemed completely lacking in any coherent overarching vision.
Beyond the recurring habit of handing players unusually long contracts, many of the club's recent acquisitions appear, from an outside perspective, to have been made on impulse — whether to outmaneuver a crosstown rival or simply stockpile a young talent on the hope that his ceiling is eventually reached.
As gifted as Morgan Rogers undeniably is, it wasn't immediately clear why Chelsea shelled out $155.8 million (£117 million) to bring in a 24-year-old left winger/attacking midfielder to a squad already overflowing with left wingers and attacking midfielders in their mid-20s.
Yet unlike so many of Chelsea's previous deals, this one came with Xabi Alonso's personal stamp of approval. And the incoming manager has arrived with a clear vision in mind.
What Position Will Morgan Rogers Play for Chelsea?
Like many modern tacticians, Alonso was quick to praise Rogers's adaptability. "I think that one of his greatest strengths is his flexibility," the former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss told reporters this week.
However, Alonso suggested that Rogers will primarily be used in a central attacking midfield capacity. "I think that he [will be] in that pocket position, close to the striker, close to the other 10," the Basque manager explained. "But he's played on the right side as well, but I think that more coming from the left, coming from that position, we are playing that he feels that he's enjoying his game, that he feels his flow.
"I think that he will build strong connections with the players around him. So if we get those connections right, those little associations between them that they look for each other and they connect well, I think that it will be a great step forward in the quality of our game."
What Formation Will Chelsea Use Under Alonso?
This remains the central question. Many have anticipated that Alonso will return to the 3-4-2-1 system that served Bayer Leverkusen so effectively during their unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning 2023–24 season.
In that structure, Rogers could comfortably slot into the left No. 10 role alongside Cole Palmer and behind the striker, most likely João Pedro.
This would also benefit summer arrivals Geovany Quenda — who was converted into a wingback by Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP — and Marco Palestra, the $62.6 million acquisition who made such a strong impression as an attacking force down the right flank for Cagliari last season.
However, Jamie Gittens hinted at something different. The injury-prone orthodox left winger already saw his game time reduced when Niko Kovač switched to a back-three system in his final season at Borussia Dortmund. Yet Gittens didn't seem troubled by the prospect of history repeating itself this campaign.
"I think [Alonso's style can suit him as a winger]. Last season was a 4-3-3 as well with two wingers which is always good, so let's just see," the 21-year-old told the Daily Mail following his first training sessions under Alonso.
Faced with the challenge of keeping Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham satisfied, Alonso did employ a 4-3-3 at Real Madrid last term, a system that became progressively less experimental as he (unsuccessfully) battled to retain his position amid a dressing room revolt.
"We will be flexible in our tactics, in our approaches, game plans," Alonso noted this week. "For sure the ideas, the principles of what we want can be the same. But we have tried and we will try different ideas, mainly because these players have done it.
"So it's not that I'm changing everything. It's about updating, developing something that they have done with new concepts that each manager has. But the good thing is that many things that I like they have already done. So now it's about changing or updating a few other things."
Should Alonso be planning a similar setup at Chelsea with Rogers in that "pocket position," it could significantly affect how Cole Palmer is used.
How Chelsea Can Fit Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer Into the Same XI
Palmer's presence at Chelsea was a significant draw for Rogers. The two close friends from their time together in England and Manchester City's youth academies have never featured in the same senior club lineup, though that is widely expected to change at Chelsea.
Alonso made it crystal clear that the duo would feature together: "I have a plan. I have an idea. I can see them linking really well." He simply stopped short of spelling out exactly what that would look like.
While their combined roles in a 3-4-2-1 would be easy to picture, there are numerous possibilities within a 4-3-3. The most straightforward option would be to deploy only one of Rogers or Palmer centrally — likely alongside Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo — while the other shifts out to the wing (see the top two options below).
Alonso could alternatively opt for the more ambitious approach of fielding both in dual attacking midfield roles with a single defensive midfielder sitting behind them — a strategy perhaps best reserved for matches against lesser opposition.
Pep Guardiola employed this system during his first Premier League title win at Manchester City, pairing Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva ahead of Fernandinho in roles the Belgian described as "free eights."
There is also the possibility of Alonso deploying Palmer (or Rogers) as a false nine in place of João Pedro, should he wish to exert even greater control over the midfield.
For once, a Chelsea signing appears to arrive with genuine purpose. In keeping with the culture of extravagance that has defined the BlueCo era, there isn't just one plan — there are several.