'The ultimate goal is clear and it is the way it should be'

Xabi Alonso is Chelsea's sixth permanent manager in four years under the club's American owners BlueCo, led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

His predecessors Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior held the title of head coach rather than manager.

Alonso arrives with the loftier title of manager, which insiders say is not insignificant, though he will still have to work with the five-strong sporting director team on recruiting players.

Asked whether being given that title was important in giving him more authority, Alonso replied: "What I like is that we work together and we are all part of the decisions we take. We all feel responsible for that.

"The ultimate goal is clear and it is the way it should be.

"We are confident that we are doing the right things in the right way. The potential is there. There is a strong base and a good team already there.

"We need to reinforce it in the right way and take good decisions to do that. The feeling is that we are aligned with the sporting directors. The ultimate goal is to have a good team and build the right squad, and we are in that moment."

Chelsea missed out on European qualification after losing at Sunderland on the final day of the Premier League season and finishing 10th.

That has had implications as the Blues look to reduce the size of their squad, and star players, such as Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, missed out on World Cup call-ups.

Alonso has benefited from more time on the training pitch, with the majority of his squad already available during pre-season and Palmer returning hungry after being overlooked for the England squad.

"We have been together for a few days and he has come in with a positive mindset and positive spirit. He wants to enjoy playing football," Alonso said of Palmer.

"He is a special player - a different class with a different quality. If we help him by building a team around him that allows his talent to shine, we will be closer to success. I am sure of that."