Wesley Fofana says it is clear Chelsea need stability as they prepare to enter their first season under Xabi Alonso.

The Blues have been anything but stable in recent years, spending comfortably over £1billion on players since BlueCo took control of the club in 2022.

In that same period, they have cycled through nine different head coaches (including interims), with Alonso the latest to take the reins ahead of 2026-27.

The last Chelsea boss to last two full seasons was Antonio Conte, between 2016 and 2018, and the Italian also oversaw the Blues' most recent Premier League title success.

Fofana was one of the first major signings Chelsea made during the BlueCo era, joining from Leicester City for £75m in August 2022, though injuries limited him to just 32 appearances throughout his first three seasons with the club.

He bounced back to appear in 38 matches last term – starting 31 – and has also featured heavily under Alonso in pre-season.

And he believes it is time for things to settle down at Stamford Bridge, telling BBC Sport: "I think everyone knows we need stability.

"We talked last season with the directors and they said the same thing. They think the same way as the players. We need stability."

There has been a huge turnover of players at Chelsea in recent years, with 10 more signings being made during the current transfer window, including the surprise arrivals of experienced heads Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, as well as big-money acquisitions Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix.

Chelsea reportedly keep a list of players the club considers "untouchable", headlined by the likes of Cole Palmer and Reece James, and Fofana knows he must continue to perform if he wants to remain in their plans. 

"We have a lot, I think there are nine or 10 [untouchables]," he said. "Everyone needs to be good, to train well and after, the manager takes the decision. It's like this for everyone.

"Maybe some guys will leave, others will come in again. For myself, it is about training well, trying to be fit, and then we will see what the manager does. 

"If the club tells me they don't need me any more, it is like this. Of course, I would be sad, but this is football. You can't say 'I have my place and I am sure to play.'"

Chelsea host Real Sociedad in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday, before taking on local rivals Fulham in their opening Premier League game on August 24.