Chelsea Identify Xabi Alonso as Primary Head Coach Target: Reports

According to reports out of England and Spain, Chelsea have identified former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso as the primary candidate to take over the permanent head coach role at Stamford Bridge next season. The Blues are currently hunting for a new manager, following their decision to sack Liam Rosenior after an abysmal string of results.

Chelsea notably parted ways with Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day, before quickly bringing Rosenior over from Strasbourg, where the 41-year-old was enjoying a measured level of success. Despite starting his spell with a few wins, goals soon dried up, and the club have since fallen down the league table in recent months. After just over three months in the dugout, the Blues sacked Rosenior and will wait until the end of the season to sign a permanent manager.

There have been reports that the Blues are now considering Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola and Fulham manager Marco Silva, with the club looking for a fresh start. However, it is worth noting the appeal that Xabi Alonso has for the Chelsea hierarchy, compared to his Premier League counterparts. While Alonso struggled to impart his philosophy at the Santiago Bernabeu, which saw him leave the club, he remains a highly sought-after manager.

His successes with Bayer Leverkusen remain very vivid in the hearts and minds of football fans across the world. He notably led the German outfit to an unbeaten season that saw them win the league and the DFB Pokal, breaking Bayern Munich’s domestic monopoly.

With Chelsea openly looking to avoid another short-term failure after the Rosenior debacle, it is no surprise that Alonso has become the primary candidate. His track record of winning the Bundesliga and tactical excellence at the highest level could be two major factors that put him in the sights of the Blues’ hierarchy. It also helps that Alonso is a free agent currently.

Will Xabi Alonso Want to Join Chelsea?

Chelsea have certainly had a problem with holding onto managers or head coaches over the years, and their willingness to easily sack managers could stall Alonso’s interest in the job. These concerns seem to have worsened after BlueCo bought the club from Roman Abramovich in 2022. In these past four years, they have already signed seven managers, having parted ways with five.

They notably sacked Thomas Tuchel, before bringing in Graham Potter, who was sacked in 2023, as Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard each took over as interim. Mauricio Pochettino was signed as a permanent manager in the summer of that year, but he parted ways in a year, with Enzo Maresca taking over.

The Italian spent 18 months at the role before Calum McFarlane took over as interim. Liam Rosenior was hired, has now been fired, and McFarlane is in the interim position once more.