Chelsea have met with a highly respected manager as they continue their search for Liam Rosenior's replacement, with a Xabi Alonso to Liverpool update also shared.
Chelsea prioritise Xabi Alonso move but manager race still open
Chelsea's search for a new manager is gathering serious pace, and the picture is becoming clearer by the day.
Alonso remains the club's preferred candidate, with positive early discussions already taking place between the 44-year-old and the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.
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It has been a messy season in west London.
Enzo Maresca departed in January, and his replacement Liam Rosenior lasted barely four months before being sacked on April 22.
Interim boss Calum McFarlane has steadied things since, but Chelsea's ownership group know they need to get this next appointment right.
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The ex-Real boss has made it clear.
The managerial carousel at Stamford Bridge under BlueCo has become one of the defining narratives of the ownership era, and another misstep would be damaging both internally and in terms of the club's ability to attract top talent in the future.
The approach has been methodical.
Chelsea are understood to be working through a shortlist of five or six candidates, with Alonso and Andoni Iraola sitting clearly at the top.
Chelsea meet with Andoni Iraola as Xabi Alonso to Liverpool update shared
Now, The Guardian have revealed that Chelsea have held in-person talks with Iraola as they continue to keep their options open beyond Alonso.
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Marco Silva, Oliver Glasner, Cesc Fàbregas and Filipe Luis have all been linked too, but reports suggest those names are currently lower down in the club's thinking.
The focus has narrowed to two men — both Spanish, both tactically sophisticated, and both represented by the same agency, IDUB, which has reportedly been used to facilitate discussions with each candidate.
Alonso's credentials need little explanation.
The former midfielder won the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen in stunning fashion in 2023/24 before moving to Real Madrid, where he lasted just half a season before being sacked in January.
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before the match
Despite that abrupt ending, Chelsea's hierarchy are said to view his managerial pedigree, tactical clarity and authority as exactly what the club needs to bring structure to a young and talented but underperforming squad.
The Guardian report that Chelsea feel Alonso's style of play suits their current group of players, and there is genuine optimism within Stamford Bridge that a deal can be reached.
One lingering question has been whether Alonso might prefer to wait for the Liverpool job — a role that carries deep personal significance given his five years as a player at Anfield.
However, The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg has described those suggestions as "exaggerated," with the real unknown said to be whether Alonso decides to move to England now or opts to take a break from management entirely.
Xabi Alonso real madrid training
That is a subtle but important distinction, and one that appears to work in Chelsea's favour. Liverpool, for their part, have publicly committed to Arne Slot, further undermining the idea that a vacancy is imminent.
It is the Iraola element, however, that gives this story its extra edge.
Chelsea's decision to meet the 'elite' 43-year-old face to face represents more than just due diligence. The Guardian report that the club's recruitment department has identified a need for the team to become more physical, and that assessment heightens Iraola's appeal considerably.
The Basque coach has built his reputation at Bournemouth on exactly those qualities — intensity, pressing, aggression, structure — and there is a growing sense within Chelsea that he is more than capable of scaling up to manage a club of their size.
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Iraola confirmed in April that he will leave Bournemouth when his contract expires at the end of the season, and Crystal Palace have already been rejected twice in their efforts to lure him to Selhurst Park.
He will not be short of options this summer.
Chelsea want their new manager in place before the World Cup begins next month. The clock is ticking, but the process is moving.
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