Arsenal will face a new Chelsea manager in Xabi Alonso next season with several ramifications facing Mikel Arteta
12:37, 17 May 2026
Xabi Alonso is set to take on Mikel Arteta when Chelsea face Arsenal next season
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LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 07: Xabi Alonso, Head Coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, interacts with Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, prior to the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Emirates Stadium on August 07, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea will have Xabi Alonso at the helm of the club next season in what has become something of a surprise move by the West London side. The Blues have watched on while the gap to the likes of Arsenal has got wider and wider in recent years.
Dumped out of the semi-finals of the League Cup by the Gunners and then beaten in the FA Cup final by Manchester City on Saturday, in yet another cup final defeat. Arsenal, meanwhile, look set to claim the Premier League title and have a UEFA Champions League final to play as they attempt to become the second London side to lift the trophy, taking away Chelsea’s unique status as the only English capital club to win the competition.
But what will Alonso’s arrival ultimately change and what could the impact be on the likes of Arsenal? football.london take a look at three potential ramifications for the north London side.
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Head coach no more…
Like Arsenal, Chelsea will have a manager in charge, which has not been the case for some time. Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior were all appointed as head coaches, with responsibilities pertaining solely to the squad and little beyond that.
Maresca left with ambitions for greater influence at the club and may yet achieve that at Manchester City if the rumours of him succeeding Pep Guardiola prove true. But Alonso will become a manager at Chelsea, not a head coach, giving the Spaniard greater influence.
His work at Real Sociedad and Bayer Leverkusen has been lauded, where he went a title-winning season unbeaten in Germany. Arsenal might have enjoyed the instability that the head coach profiles at Chelsea have endured, but this change will certainly grab the Gunners' attention far more than their previous appointments.
Old friends, new rivals
Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso are known to be good friends, meaning if Guardiola is to leave City this summer, he’ll still have another Spanish coach at a rival club in Alonso. When Leverkusen played Arsenal in a pre-season friendly, speaking to the media, Alonso couldn’t be more complimentary.
Alonso told reporters: “Competitive. He has been always a competitive animal.
“Here you can see how he has developed a great project. You could see that he wanted to win and he was preparing for that, you know. It is a fruit of many decisions that he has taken that they reach here in Arsenal.”
When Alonso left Real Madrid, Arteta was asked for his thoughts on his peer. He said: “I wish Xabi all the very best because he's a top person and an incredible coach, and I'm sure that whatever he decides to do in the future, again, will be top.”
Now, though, they would lock horns as opposites of rival London clubs. Friendships will be put aside as the pair do battle.
Transfer battles
With Alonso being the manager, it suggests he will have greater influence over the running of Chelsea and, in particular, recruitment. The Blues’ dealings in the window have been widely scrutinised for lacking direction beyond targeting younger stars with resale value, which has seen them slip down the table and potentially out of Europe entirely for next season.
Alonso and Arteta have been compared in the past, which could create some similar visions when it comes to signings. Arteta sought advice from Alonso when the club moved for Piero Hincape.
“When I spoke to Xabi about him just before we were going to sign him, I asked him to describe him in one word,” Arteta revealed. “He said: ‘Warrior. He will run through brick walls for you.’”
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Perhaps now, the two will be looking to sign the same players instead, and Alonso might want to keep his new London rival in the dark about potential signings.
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