Xabi Alonso has reportedly agreed a four-year deal to become the next permanent head coach of Chelsea FC.
According to reports from Sky Sports cited by Complete Sports, Chelsea identified Alonso as their top managerial target following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior in April after only three months in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Other managers reportedly considered by Chelsea included Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, Fulham manager Marco Silva, Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner, Como manager Cesc Fabregas and former Flamengo boss Felipe Luis.
However, Chelsea opted to move quickly for Alonso, who won the UEFA Champions League twice during his playing career and later guided Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning season in 2023/2024 during his first full campaign as a senior coach.
The report stated that Chelsea planned to wait until after the FA Cup final before making an official announcement, with confirmation expected as early as Monday.
Alonso has been without a managerial role since being sacked by Real Madrid CF in January, just seven months into his tenure at the Spanish club.
Chelsea are also expected to involve Alonso heavily in their summer transfer activities as the club seeks to rebuild a squad that struggled for consistency throughout the season.
The London club is reportedly targeting experienced first-team players to strengthen key areas after another disappointing domestic campaign under the BlueCo ownership structure.
Defeat to Manchester City FC in the FA Cup final further compounded Chelsea’s difficult season and left the club likely to miss out on European football for the second time since the takeover by BlueCo.
Chelsea currently sit ninth in the Premier League table after managing just one point from their last seven league matches.
If confirmed, Alonso would become the fifth permanent managerial appointment under Chelsea’s current ownership, following Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior.
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