Xabi Alonso is almost certain to be the next manager of Chelsea. But as long as an official announcement is made, there are many who will still question that. Could it fall apart from here? Well, if the reports are accurate, then no. The Spaniard is believed to have signed a contract already. It is only a matter of time before everything is confirmed.
Alonso can be considered the new Chelsea manager already, even though he will start coaching from this summer and Calum McFarlane will see out this season. Then again, it is believed that he will immediately start working on the club’s summer transfer plans, which he is expected to have a major say in.
When will the appointment be made official? According to Ben Jacobs, Alonso is expected to be announced on Sunday and will begin his new role on July 1. Kaveh Solhekol has also confirmed that the Spaniard will be officially announced as the new Chelsea manager today.
The report further goes on to state that Alonso will work very closely with the sporting directors and owners, including in recruitment and squad planning. It is also said that the Spanish manager believes the squad is already talented but there are areas to improve this summer. Chelsea will try to add multiple starters.
Xabi Alonso will have a bigger say than previous Chelsea head coaches
Something that many would have noticed is that Alonso is being referred to as the ‘manager’ of the club. That term has been phased out by many clubs in football lately, preferring ‘head coach’ instead.
But Alonso has been given the ‘manager’ title in order to showcase that he will have more power than a head coach. In many ways, it might be a matter of optics as well.
BlueCo will have been well aware that fans have been wanting change and for the manager to be given more control over matters. It looks like Alonso has been given assurances that he will have that. Hope all the promises are kept.
What could Alonso look for this summer?
Alonso appears to think that Chelsea already have a talented squad. On paper, that cannot be denied. But the performances on the pitch suggest there is a lot of room, and need, for improvement.
Chelsea’s Champions League hopes are as good as over. They missed a golden chance to book their spot in the Europa League, as they lost the FA Cup final. And realistically, they could finish in the bottom half of the table.
So, this squad needs to be strengthened as much as possible. Earlier reports had suggested that Alonso wanted two centre-backs. The Blues could do with more options in midfield, up top and in goal as well. But it all might depend on how much they can raise through player exits.
Let’s not forget that the club will have to work under financial constraints this summer. They received UEFA fines last year and remain under the microscope. And after how much money has already been wasted, naturally, there is far less to work with than in the early days of BlueCo.