Chelsea have reportedly made contact with Xabi Alonso over a deal to become their new head coach.
The Blues are searching for a successor to Liam Rosenior, who was sacked last month after a fifth successive Premier League defeat without scoring a goal.
With interim boss Calum McFarlane at the helm for the second time this season, Chelsea secured a place in this Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester City but have seen their winless run in the league stretched to seven games after a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest and a 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
Alonso has been out of work since his ultimately brief Real Madrid tenure came to an end in January.
But widespread reports are indicating Alonso has emerged as the leading contender for the job at Stamford Bridge, with The Athletic reporting that Chelsea are ‘exploring a deal’ for the former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder, with Alonso said to be open to their proposal.
Outgoing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, who will leave the Cherries at the end of the season, is also reported to be a strong contender for the job.
Could Alonso rebuild reputation at Chelsea?
Alonso built his reputation during a hugely successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen.
Under Alonso’s leadership, Leverkusen dethroned Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga in 2023-24. Die Werkself won their first Bundesliga title without losing a game and also lifted the DFB-Pokal title to complete a double.
Alonso’s Leverkusen did not lose a game in that campaign until the Europa League final, in which they slumped to a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta.
Leverkusen then won the DFL-Supercup the following season before finishing second behind Bayern in the Bundesliga, with Alonso then saying farewell as he headed for Madrid.
But the reunion with Los Blancos proved an unsuccessful one, with Alonso removed following defeat to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final.
A club that changes head coach as often as Chelsea does would appear to be a curious next destination for the Spaniard but, after his success with Leverkusen, the Blues may view Alonso as an ideal candidate to get the best out of a squad boasting a lot of young players.
