Chelsea are close to appointing Xabi Alonso as their new head coach and the Spaniard appeared to confirm the move on social media on Sunday morning
Xabi Alonso, Manager of Real Madrid looks on prior to the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Real Betis Balompié at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on January 04, 2026 in Madrid, Spain.
Xabi Alonso has confirmed he is close to joining Chelsea(Image: Quality Sport Images, Getty Images)
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Xabi Alonso has confirmed he is 'on the verge' of becoming the next Chelsea head coach.
Reports emerged on Saturday evening that Alonso, 44, has agreed to join the Blues with the Spaniard expected to sign a four-year contract. The ex-Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss visited London last week and has since accepted the chance to move to west London this summer.
With a deal close to completion, Alonso then appeared to let the move slip on social media on Sunday morning. Indeed, posting on his official X account, the former Liverpool midfielder said: "Xabi Alonso, on the verge of becoming Chelsea's coach," alongside a link from Spanish outlet Marca.
Alonso has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid back in January. During his short time at the Santiago Bernabeu, he posted an impressive record, winning 24 and drawing four of his 34 matches at the helm.
It was a return that helped move Real into the knockout phase of the Champions League and kept them well in the race for the La Liga title. But president Florentino Perez made the decision to sack Alonso and bring in ex-defender Alvaro Albeloa as interim until the end of the season.
As for Chelsea, the Blues have been on the lookout for a permanent manager since the sacking of Liam Rosenior in April, with Calum McFarlane taking charge until the end of the season.
Rosenior was axed following a dreadful run of form that saw the Blues lose five successive Premier League matches and drop out of the Champions League places. While McFarlane helped Chelsea to the FA Cup final, he was unable to get them across the line, as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.
Antoine Semenyo's second-half goal proved to be the difference at Wembley Stadium as Chelsea's domestic trophy drought stretched to EIGHT years.