Kylian Mbappe rubbishes Xabi Alonso rumour amid Chelsea links
Xabi Alonso is the clear frontrunner to become the new manager of Chelsea. That has been clear for some time. Now, it remains to be seen if the club can get a deal over the line and sign him. There have been suggestions that the Spaniard might be waiting for the Liverpool situation to become clear before making a commitment. Arne Slot is expected to remain at Anfield if they can secure Champions League qualification.
As for Alonso, the majority of Chelsea fans would like to see him become the next manager. He is someone who has shown that he can win with a squad full of youngsters at Bayer Leverkusen. The Spaniard is also someone who might help the club attract players even without Champions League football.
One worry that many fans seem to have though is how quickly Alonso seemed to lose the Real Madrid dressing room. With previous managers already facing the same issue at Chelsea, could history repeat itself if the Spaniard is appointed?
Kylian Mbappe is one of those players who was believed to have a frosty relationship with Alonso during their time at Real Madrid. But it looks like that is not accurate after all. According to MadridXtra, the Frenchman said:
“I have a great relationship with Xabi Alonso. He will be a great manager. Everyone knows what I think about him.”
Mbappe clears up Alonso misconception
Of course, Mbappe is facing issues at Real Madrid right now as well. Despite scoring 41 goals in 42 games this season, it looks like a large section of the fanbase is not impressed.
Nothing is more important than trophies at Real Madrid. And they have not won any major ones since the arrival of Mbappe. He was even booed by the Santiago Bernabeu crowd recently.
Could that lead to a Real Madrid exit in the future? Could it open the door to a Chelsea move? Maybe and no, in my opinion.
While Mbappe could potentially leave if things don’t improve, it is hard to imagine he would join Chelsea under the club’s current circumstances, even if Alonso becomes the manager.
Mbappe’s comments should come as a relief to Chelsea fans
Mbappe’s comments regarding Alonso should come as a relief to Chelsea fans though. It shows that the Spaniard did not have any kind of falling out with the biggest name in his dressing room.
Of course, it is also worth remembering that Chelsea do not have anybody with Mbappe’s star power at the moment. So, the Blues dressing room should be easier to manage.
Alonso’s stature in the game, both as a player and as a coach, should mean that he commands respect from day one. Obviously, any of this will matter if Chelsea are able to get a deal done in the first place. While it might feel likely, nothing is set in stone. It does not take long for things to change in football.
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade.
His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow.
Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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