Xabi Alonso to Liverpool fear as Chelsea boss ‘has club in his heart’
Xabi Alonso was appointed as Chelsea manager in May and is preparing for his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge
Xabi Alonso is preparing for his first season in charge of Chelsea(Image: Darren Walsh, Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea have been warned that manager Xabi Alonso may have an eye on the Liverpool job in the future. The former Real Madrid boss arrived at Stamford Bridge in May, signing a four-year contract.
The Blues moved to appoint the Spaniard in the summer in their search for a permanent replacement for Liam Rosenior, with Calum McFarlane taking interim charge for the last few games of the 2025/26 season. Alonso was linked with a move to his former club Liverpool amid pressure on the then-manager Arne Slot.
His appointment at Stamford Bridge came not long before Liverpool decided to replace Slot in the dugout. The decision was made after a poor defence of their Premier League title.
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Liverpool instead turned to Andoni Iraola, but former Barcelona star Gaizka Mendieta has saidspeaking via BetVictor: “When Chelsea calls, you take it because it is a great opportunity, but I think Xabi Alonso still has Liverpool in his mind.
“The way coaching movements happened meant he took the Chelsea job just months before the Liverpool position became available.
“They made the right call at the time, but I can see him coaching Liverpool at some point in the future. The club is in his heart.”
Asked why he joined Chelsea rather than Liverpool in an interview with BBC Sport earlier this month, Alonso said: “Well, it is about timings.
“I am here today on my first day at Stamford Bridge, talking to you. I am looking forward to this challenge, a big challenge, and Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs and I am looking forward to having success here.”
He added: “What I like is that we work together and we are all part of the decisions we take, we all feel responsible for that. The ultimate goal is clear and, for me, it is the way it should be.
“We are confident that we are doing the right things in the right way. The potential is there. I think there is a strong base and a good team already there.
“We need to reinforce it in the right way and take good decisions to do that. The feeling is that we are aligned with the sporting directors.
“The ultimate goal is to have a good team, build the right squad and we are in that moment.”
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