Chelsea have former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso at the very top of their managerial agenda, but one thing is holding him back from taking the job.
Chelsea in talks with Xabi Alonso as they prioritise ex-Liverpool star
The Blues have been in active talks with Alonso and his representatives for the past fortnight.
Xabi Alonso real madrid training
As reliable journalist Simon Phillips first reported via his Substack, Chelsea made contact with the Spaniard's camp a while back, and the discussions have been ongoing since in fairly 'positive' fashion.
This information has since been backed up by the likes of David Ornstein and other reliable media sources, who claim that Alonso is Chelsea's ideal next manager after they sacked Liam Rosenior.
So make no mistake, Alonso to Stamford Bridge is very much alive right now.
However, the 44-year-old is by no means nailed-on to become their sixth permanent manager in four years.
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Chelsea have identified their number one target to take on the managerial post at Stamford Bridge this summer.
Chelsea are believed to have a wide range of 'plan Bs' if talks with Alonso fall through, and want an appointment finalised before the start of this year's World Cup.
Indeed, Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, who is a top target for Crystal Palace, is still very much in their thinking, with Palace's Oliver Glasner, ex-Chelsea star Cesc Fàbregas and Filipe Luis among the other candidates under consideration by BlueCo.
Alonso is widely rumoured to be their priority, though, but the ex-Bayer Leverkusen hero has his conditions.
xabi-alonso-chelsea-premier-league
One of them is greater control over football operations, which Chelsea are actually prepared to grant Alonso as they seek to make a statement appointment after the Rosenior nightmare (Simon Phillips).
However, while negotiations with Alonso are ongoing and progressing, the potential Liverpool opening is actually stopping him from taking the job immediately.
Liverpool stopping Xabi Alonso from taking the Chelsea job right now
That is according to an inside source, who told The I Paper that the prospect of replacing Arne Slot at Anfield is one thing that has stopped Alonso from already accepting Chelsea's offer.
Xabi Alonso and Arne Slot
The I Paper source, as quoted by the site, claims that he would've "taken the Chelsea job by now if Liverpool was not still in his thinking”.
Luckily for the Blues, barring a late surprise, Liverpool are widely expected to continue with Slot for 2026/2027, despite a large portion of Reds supporters calling for the Dutchman to be sacked.
This will play in Chelsea's favour and free up an opportunity to continue talks with Alonso, and hopefully get him over the line.
The tactician guided Leverkusen to an unprecedented and unbeaten Bundesliga title triumph in 2023/2024, also winning the domestic double and narrowly missing out on a Europa League triumph at the hands of Atalanta.
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso
His work in Germany attracted interest from Real Madrid, but Alonso's La Liga stint was short-lived when disagreements with the board over tactics and approach ultimately led to his resignation (BBC).
After his Madrid spell, it is clear to see why he is reportedly asking for more say on footballing matters than what BlueCo have offered previous bosses.
Alonso is also believed to be asking for more clarity about Chelsea's transfer plans too, and specifically wants the club to reinforce their defence as a key priority (Simon Phillips).
The coming weeks are set to determine the feasibility of Alonso's potential arrival in west London, and Chelsea supporters will be watching with great hope that he chooses to resurrect their faltering project.
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