Chelsea release defender Richard Olise ahead of Xabi Alonso arrival
Chelsea are set to release academy defender Richard Olise as a free agent just days before Xabi Alonso officially begins his managerial tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The 21-year-old will depart west London following a decade in the club’s youth setup without making a senior competitive appearance.
His impending exit mirrors the departure of his older brother, Michael, who was let go by the Blues in 2014 before achieving global stardom.
Alonso is scheduled to take formal charge on 1 July after signing a four-year contract.
The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid head coach arrives with a mandate to reshape the squad, but allowing the younger sibling to leave could represent an early misstep.
Repeating past mistakes
Richard operated primarily as a full-back for the youth teams and secured a Conference League winner’s medal during the 2024-25 campaign.
The young defender earned the accolade after featuring on the bench during a 3-1 victory over Astana on the continent.
Despite this European involvement, no new agreement has been reached to retain the promising full-back.
He will now be free to negotiate with other clubs as he looks to establish a first-team career elsewhere.
The situation draws immediate parallels to the club’s historical handling of his elder brother.
Michael spent seven years in the academy system before being unexpectedly released at the age of 14.
A costly previous exit
Following his departure, the elder Olise rebuilt his career at Reading and Crystal Palace before completing a £50.8m transfer to Bayern Munich.
The France international has since developed into one of Europe’s premier attacking talents in the Bundesliga.
He recently earned Player of the Season honours in Germany after securing back-to-back domestic titles.
The explosive winger has contributed an astonishing 96 goals and assists in 107 outings for the Bavarian giants.
His current sensational form has positioned the former Palace forward as a leading contender for the World Cup Golden Ball.
Chelsea previously attempted to rectify their original error by launching a bid to re-sign the superstar in 2023, but the player rejected a return.
While Richard plays in a fundamentally different defensive role, the hierarchy will be desperately hoping history does not repeat itself.
