Chelsea are pushing ahead with their managerial search, with Xabi Alonso emerging as one of the leading candidates and reportedly open to a Premier League job.
The update comes from Ben Jacobs via talkSPORT, who also report that Chelsea have a fairly wide shortlist as they look to move quickly this summer.
Alongside Alonso, names such as Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva, Oliver Glasner and Filipe Luís are all being considered.
Chelsea’s aim is to have a new manager in place before the World Cup starts, giving them time to reset and prepare for next season.
But it’s the Alonso situation that will really catch attention in the Premier League.
For Liverpool,this is where things become more sensitive.
If Alonso is genuinely open to coming to England, Liverpool simply cannot afford to stand still and let him end up at a direct rival like Chelsea.
With uncertainty still surrounding the managerial situation at Anfield, the longer things drag on, the more risk there is of top targets moving elsewhere.
And Alonso is exactly the type of appointment that could shape the next era of a club.
At the moment, Chelsea are clearly advancing their options, while Liverpool watch on with big decisions of their own to make.
And in a summer where elite managers are in short supply, hesitation could prove costly.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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