Chelsea players believe that Xabi Alonso is the ideal candidate to be appointed the team’s next manager.
Talks with the Spaniard’s representatives are going well and within the dressing room there is growing conviction that the former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen coach is the right man to get the team back on track.
However, there is still no agreement and Chelsea are carefully considering all options as they look to appoint a successor to Liam Rosenior, who was sacked last month after just 106 days in charge.
Alonso is the clear favourite, but Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and former Flamengo coach Filipe Luis are also on the shortlist. Meanwhile, Cesc Fabregas has hinted he wants to stay at Como.
Developments are expected to accelerate after Saturday’s FA Cup final, where Chelsea face Manchester City.
Chelsea have been closely following Alonso’s progress since he began his coaching career at Bayer Leverkusen in 2022 and have been waiting for him to become available on the market.
Alonso, who won the Bundesliga title in 2024, has been unemployed since January after leaving Madrid.
The 44-year-old has been determined to learn from his spell at Madrid, where he lasted just 34 games, after failing to gain the support of some influential figures within the dressing room.
Chelsea are looking for their sixth permanent manager since BlueCo took over the club in 2022, but Alonso has not been put off by the idea of taking charge of the team.
