Chelsea Agree Four-Year Deal for Xabi Alonso As New Head Coach

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By Sedara Philip

Chelsea are set to appoint Xabi Alonso as their new permanent head coach after the Spaniard reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with the Premier League club.

According to Sky Sports, the Blues identified Alonso as their top managerial target following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior in April, just three months after his appointment at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea considered several other candidates during their search, including Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola and Fulham boss Marco Silva. Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner, Como manager Cesc Fabregas, and former Flamengo tactician Felipe Luis were also among the names linked with the role.

However, the London club have now moved decisively to secure Alonso, who enjoyed enormous success during his time at Bayer Leverkusen. The former midfielder guided the German side to a historic unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning campaign in the 2023/24 season, establishing himself as one of Europe’s most highly-rated young coaches.

Alonso also boasts an impressive playing career, having won the UEFA Champions League twice during spells with Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Chelsea are expected to make the appointment official after the conclusion of the FA Cup final, with an announcement likely to arrive as early as Monday.

The 44-year-old has been without a managerial role since leaving Real Madrid in January, only seven months into his tenure at the Spanish giants.

He is expected to play a major role in Chelsea’s summer recruitment plans as the club seeks to rebuild an underperforming squad. The Blues are reportedly targeting experienced first-team players to strengthen the team ahead of next season.

Chelsea’s disappointing campaign continued with defeat to Manchester City in Saturday’s FA Cup final, a result that leaves them facing the possibility of missing out on European football for the second time since the BlueCo ownership takeover.

The club currently sit ninth in the Premier League table and have managed just one point from their last seven league matches.

Alonso will become the fifth permanent manager appointed under Chelsea’s current ownership, following Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca, and Liam Rosenior.