Xabi Alonso will be the next manager of Chelsea Football Club. While that has been looking likely for the last few days, nobody would have expected that news to break this quickly. Perhaps it was done to soften the blow of losing the FA Cup final against Manchester City. And to be honest, it has had the desired effect.
For probably the first time since the BlueCo takeover, the club have appointed a manager who is the popular choice amongst the fans. The majority of the fanbase wanted Alonso to get the post. And he has gotten it.
Not just that, it is believed that he will be given more of a say than his predecessors. That is what the fans wanted as well. The BlueCo model has not worked for the past four years. Two managers have chosen to walk away. A change was needed. And hopefully, it is set to be delivered with Alonso in charge.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Alonso has signed his contract at Chelsea, and everything is completed. The agreement until June 2030 is done, sealed and will be announced in the next hours. The Spaniard’s contract is set to run from July 1st, but he is also set to start working immediately on transfers.
Xabi Alonso set to start work immediately on transfers
Chelsea’s poor recruitment has been one of the biggest reasons behind their lack of success. There has been no lack of investment. But a lot of the resources have been wasted trying to implement a policy that simply cannot work in top level football.
With someone like Alonso having a say on the recruitment, one would expect things to improve. He did take a Bayer Leverkusen team from the relegation zone to an Invincible Bundesliga title within the space of a couple of seasons. He also won the DFB Pokal and reached the Europa League final while working on a tight budget.
At Real Madrid, it did not work out. But that had more to do with the dressing room than his coaching ability. And considering how things have gone for Los Blancos since his departure, it does not look like he was part of the problem there.
What do Chelsea need this summer?
Chelsea need to strengthen this summer. In several positions across the pitch. And it is not about adding more quantity.
Chelsea have plenty of players on their books already. What they need is genuine quality. Those who can walk into the starting XI immediately after signing. Experienced, proven names who will raise the bar from the get go.
Reports have suggested that Chelsea will look to sign two or three ready-made players this summer. It remains to be seen how that is defined in the eyes of the club and whether those signings are able to meet the expectations of the fans.
One would imagine that Alonso would have been given assurances before taking the job. That has to be read as a positive at this point in time.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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