Chelsea’s New Era: Joao Pedro Takes No9 Shirt Under Xabi Alonso
Chelsea’s new era under Xabi Alonso now has numbers to go with the names – and they tell a clear story about who is in his plans and who is edging towards the exit.
Joao Pedro crowned Chelsea’s No9
The headline change is up front. Joao Pedro has been handed the No9 shirt for the 2026-27 season, taking over from Liam Delap, who drops to No12.
That isn’t just a cosmetic tweak. It underlines Pedro as Alonso’s first-choice centre-forward after a superb first year at Stamford Bridge. The Brazilian hit 15 goals in 35 Premier League games following his £60million move from Brighton and Hove Albion, and the club have now pinned the most scrutinised number in the squad on his back.
Delap, signed only last summer as the new No9, now finds himself in a supporting role, at least on paper.
Jackson back, but questions remain
Nicolas Jackson returns from his loan spell at Bayern Munich and reclaims his familiar No15. His shirt is back. His future is not quite as secure.
Doubts still hang over whether the forward will stay at Stamford Bridge this season, and the confirmation of Pedro as No9 only sharpens that debate.
New faces, big numbers
Alonso’s influence is written all over the new list.
Valentin Barco, brought in from sister club Strasbourg, takes the No4 shirt, previously worn by Tosin Adarabioyo. It is a statement number for a new arrival expected to play a serious role.
Tosin, still at the club for now, has been pushed down to No38. That kind of drop almost always carries a message at a club of Chelsea’s size, and this one points towards a future away from west London.
Two more summer signings, Morgan Rogers and Danny Welbeck, step into the core of the squad with No17 and No18 respectively. Emmanuel Emegha and Geovany Quenda, whose pre-agreed moves have now been completed, are handed No22 and No23. Those are not academy-afterthought numbers; they sit right in the first-team mix.
At the back, versatile defender Marco Palestra takes the classic right-back number, No2, while Maxence Lacroix is given No5. That shirt has been vacated by Benoit Badiashile, who is closing in on a loan move to Napoli.
One glance down the list and the pattern is hard to miss: Alonso is quietly redrawing the hierarchy, one squad number at a time.
