WhileAlonso is the primary target, Chelsea are not putting all their eggs in one basket. The club has narrowed down a shortlist of five names to replace Rosenior, who lasted just 106 days in charge before being sacked in April. Among the other candidates are Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, who is set to depart the Cherries at the end of the current campaign, and Fulham boss Marco Silva. Both have been contacted by the club as contingencies.
However, the pedigree Alonso brings is unmatched by his rivals for the post. With Champions League and domestic titles as a player at Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, plus his managerial heroics in Germany, he represents the high-profile appointment the Chelsea board craves. Standing in ninth place in the Premier League, the club needs a transformative figure to lead them back to Europe’s elite competition.