Chelsea are keen to negotiate with the former Real Madrid boss who have the same agents as Iraola
Chelsea are expected to contact the agents of former Real Madrid manager Andoni Iraola, who also represents Bournemouth, according to The Telegraph.
Chelsea’s search for a new manager is ramping up again, with the club moving quickly behind after another tumultuous tenure with recent boss Liam Rosenior.
The feeling at Stamford Bridge is that this decision cannot be rushed, but it also cannot drag on for long, with planning already underway for an important summer rebuild.
Recent reports suggest that the club has already started announcing potential candidates, with early interviews and informal methods part of an ongoing screening process.
One of the first steps has been the first contact with Andoni Iraola’s camp, as Chelsea look to understand his availability and long-term intentions.
RMC Sport and Fabrice Hawkins reported last week that Chelsea were already close to the Spaniard’s camp, with Bobby Vincent of football.london and other sources now backing that up today.
The Bournemouth manager has impressed during his time on the south coast, gaining a reputation for planning, toughness and overachieving with limited resources.
His name is firmly in the frame as the club consider a range of options for the role.
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Evangelos Marinakis was also keen to bring him to Nottingham Forest.
That early contact highlights a broader approach from Chelsea, who are expected to speak to several managers before narrowing down their shortlist.
The idea is to gather information instead of going straight into interviews, which reflects a more careful and structured process than previous executive searches.
However, according to a new report from The Telegraph, the most attractive name is set to be contacted.
Chelsea will face Xabi Alonso’s camp for the manager’s job
The newspaper claims that Chelsea are preparing to contact Xabi Alonso’s agents, as part of their ongoing discussions with potential successors.
Importantly, those same representatives also handle Iraola’s affairs, which means that the club effectively opens a wide line of communication that can include many names at once.
Alonso’s inclusion adds a different dimension to the process.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder has quickly built up a strong managerial reputation and is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young managers in Europe, even if he has failed to impress at the Bernabeu this season.
Alonso made history at Bayer Leverkusen by guiding them to an unbeaten 2023/2024 Bundesliga title, not to mention a domestic treble, and just missed out on the Europa League after Ademola Lookman’s stunning hat-trick for Atalanta.
The Telegraph report suggests Chelsea’s strategy is not to make an early commitment to one place, but rather to assess several profiles before making a final decision.
Iraola remains part of that mix, but Alonso’s involvement underlines just how wide-ranging Chelsea’s search has become.
It also reflects the group’s desire to avoid repeating recent mistakes, where they were quickly appointed without a thorough assessment of alternatives.
At the moment, no final decision is imminent.
Negotiations are expected to continue in the coming weeks, with Chelsea still weighing the balance between experience, strong ownership and tactics.
What is clear is that the next appointment is considered an important moment in shaping the direction of the party, and every option is carefully considered before any commitment is made.
That being said, Alonso, who Chelsea see as a ‘wild card’ option (Simon Phillips), would be a very interesting hire.
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Chelsea will appoint a new manager at the end of the season after sacking Liam Rosenior.
