Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso says he has a "plan" to play new signing Morgan Rogers alongside Cole Palmer — and he can already picture the two linking up.

"I have a plan. I have an idea. I can see them linking really well," Alonso told BBC Sport, speaking about the prospect of pairing his marquee arrival with Chelsea's existing creative fulcrum.

Rogers joined Chelsea from Aston Villa for £117m, making him the club's record signing and the most expensive British player of all time. The 24-year-old midfielder signed a six-year contract with an option for a further year, according to BBC Sport.

Alonso's belief in the signing is total. "In that position we needed an important player and I'm sure there were not many better options than Morgan Rogers," he said. He expects the midfielder to settle quickly, predicting an "instant impact" and suggesting Rogers "won't need much time to adapt to the club, the system and his team-mates."

The chemistry may already be there. Rogers and Palmer describe each other as among their "best friends in football" — a bond that could fast-track the on-pitch understanding Alonso is chasing. Palmer, already established as Chelsea's chief creative force, is the kind of player who thrives with intelligent runners around him. Rogers, a dynamic midfielder comfortable carrying the ball and arriving in the box, fits that bill.

For fans, the appeal is obvious: two close friends, both English, both entering their prime, wearing the same shirt. If Alonso's vision holds, the partnership could define Chelsea's season. The Premier League calendar rarely grants long honeymoons, but a pre-existing relationship off the pitch can shave weeks off the time it takes to click on it.

There is a wider puzzle for Alonso to solve. Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian are among the other attacking talents the Spaniard must integrate alongside Rogers and Palmer, according to Agence France-Presse. Fitting all of them into a coherent system — without diluting the impact of any single player — is the kind of challenge Alonso was brought in to handle. Chelsea's owners appointed him to bring tactical clarity after a turbulent spell, and the early signs point to a manager who already knows exactly what he wants.

For now, Rogers is still on holiday after playing for England at the World Cup, while Chelsea have begun their pre-season tour in Sydney. The reunion with Palmer — and the first public look at Alonso's plan in action — will come once he reports for duty.

Chelsea will hope it is worth the wait.