Xabi Alonso Closing In On Chelsea Job As Club Prepares To Move After FA Cup Final

Chelsea are reportedly on the verge of confirming Xabi Alonso as their new permanent manager, with the west London club understood to be ready to enter advanced discussions with the 44-year-old immediately after the conclusion of the FA Cup final on Saturday.

According to reports from talkSPORT, Chelsea are close to securing an agreement with Alonso, who has emerged as the club’s top managerial target ahead of several other prominent candidates. The Spaniard is understood to be preferred over Marco Silva, Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner, and former Flamengo head coach Filipe Luis.

Alonso has been without a club since departing the Santiago Bernabéu in January, and his availability has attracted significant interest from across European football. Newcastle United registered concrete interest in the former Liverpool midfielder as a potential replacement for Eddie Howe, while reports also linked him with a return to Anfield amid speculation surrounding Arne Slot’s position at Liverpool.

Chelsea’s decision to delay formal managerial talks is understood to be deliberate, with the club’s hierarchy prioritising squad focus ahead of the FA Cup final. Once that fixture concludes, sources suggest the club’s leadership will move swiftly to finalise an appointment.

Alonso’s managerial credentials were sharpened during an impressive spell at Bayer Leverkusen, where he guided the club to their first-ever Bundesliga title in the 2023-24 season, ending Bayern Munich’s long domestic dominance. That achievement attracted widespread attention and cemented his reputation as one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe. His subsequent move to Real Madrid produced a shorter tenure, with his exit from the Bernabéu coming in January 2026.

For Chelsea, the appointment would represent a significant statement of intent. The club has endured a turbulent period on the pitch, struggling for consistency — particularly against top-half Premier League opposition — despite considerable investment in their playing squad in recent transfer windows. Critics, including former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, have publicly questioned the club’s return on that spending.

The incoming manager will be handed responsibility for overseeing what is expected to be an active summer transfer window, with a return to Champions League qualification widely identified as the primary objective for the 2026-27 campaign.

Chelsea’s ownership group, led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, has cycled through multiple managers since completing their takeover in 2022, with Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard, Mauricio Pochettino, and Enzo Maresca all having taken charge in that period. A permanent appointment of Alonso’s profile would mark one of the highest-profile managerial hirings of the current era.