With every roster rebuild, there are always the players who are simply “untouchable;” the guys who are essential building blocks moving forward. While every managerial regime change, there are tons of comings and goings, ins and outs, among the player roster. However, new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has deemed four players to be “not for sale, at any price”- Cole Palmer, Josh Acheampong, Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro.
Do any of those names (as listed out by Sports Illustrated) surprise you? If so, it’s probably the second one. However, according to the BBC, Chelsea have strongly rejected multiple transfer approaches for their 20-year-old defender. Acheampong is an academy graduate who has seen his role within the club become more prominent over time.
The versatile fullback is truly a “piece to build around.”
Today’s Chelsea Transfer Talk: go here
As for Palmer, obviously, he was one of the more shocking omissions, for any nation, when the World Cup rosters were announced. And you can make a strong case both for and against his getting cut.
What you can’t justify, however, is Nike’s World Cup ad, which debuted today, and features Palmer.
Cole Palmer featured in Nike’s new World Cup advert alongside Central Cee 🥶
He won’t be playing at the tournament 💔 pic.twitter.com/WXdENd5gUa
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) June 4, 2026
How do you make an error like that? How do not adjust and make edits?
Take a look at this absolutely bonkers statistic:
A crazy 8.33% of the managers going to the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been sacked by Chelsea 😭 Just a mad stat…
Tuchel 🏴
Potter 🇸🇪
Pochettino 🇺🇸
Ancelotti 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/do0NEEJ188— OneFootball (@OneFootball) June 2, 2026
Thomas Tuchel, England
Managed Chelsea: Jan 2021-Sept 2022
Record: W60 D24 L16 60% Win Rate
Trophies: UCL, CWC, UEFA Super Cup
Graham Potter, Sweden
Managed Chelsea: Sept 2022-Apr 2023
Record: W12 D8 L11 38.7% Win Rate
Trophies: none
Maurico Pochettino USA
Managed Chelsea: July 2023-April 2024
Record: W26 D11 L14 51% Win Rate
Trophies: none
Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil
Managed Chelsea: July 2009-May 2011
Record: W67 D20 L22 61.5% Win Rate
Trophies: Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.