Chelsea hold personal talks with ‘top’ coach as Alonso at Liverpool shares update

Chelsea have met a highly regarded manager as they continue their search for a replacement for Liam Rosenior, and Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso has shared an update.

Chelsea are prioritizing a move for Xabi Alonso but the manager’s race is still open

Chelsea’s search for a new manager is gathering pace, and the picture is getting clearer by the day.

Alonso remains the club’s preferred player, with early talks active between the 44-year-old and Stamford Bridge officials.

It has been a turbulent season in west London.

Enzo Maresca left in January, and his replacement Liam Rosenior stayed on for four months before being sacked on April 22.

Interim manager Calum McFarlane has stabilized things since then, but Chelsea’s ownership group know they need to get their next appointment right.

The managerial carousel at Stamford Bridge under BlueCo has become one of the defining stories of the ownership era, and any missteps could be damaging internally and in terms of the club’s ability to attract top talent in the future.

The way to do it is to be methodical.

Chelsea are said to be working on a shortlist of five or six, with Alonso and Andoni Iraola clearly sitting at the top.

Chelsea are set to join Andoni Iraola as Xabi Alonso is traded to Liverpool

Now, The Guardian have revealed that Chelsea have held personal talks with Iraola as they continue to keep their options open without Alonso.

Marco Silva, Oliver Glasner, Cesc Fàbregas and Filipe Luis have all been linked, but reports suggest those names are currently low in the club’s thinking.

The focus was reduced to two men – both Spanish, both with professional intelligence, and both represented by the same agency, IDUB, which was reportedly used to conduct interviews with each individual.

Alonso’s details require 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 stayed for half a season before being sacked in January.

Despite that sudden end, Chelsea bosses are said to view his managerial pedigree, tactical clarity and authority as what the club needs to bring structure to a young and talented but dysfunctional squad.

The Guardian reports that Chelsea feel Alonso’s style of play suits their current squad, and there is real hope at Stamford Bridge that a deal can be reached.

One question that remains is whether Alonso would choose to wait for the Liverpool job – a role that has deep personal significance given his five years as a player at Anfield.

However, Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian described those suggestions as “exaggerated,” with the real unknown being whether Alonso decides to move to England now or chooses to take a break from management altogether.

That’s a subtle but important difference, and one that seems to work for Chelsea. Liverpool, meanwhile, have publicly committed themselves to Arne Slot, further playing down the idea that a move is imminent.

It is the Iraola aspect, however, that gives this story its extra edge.

Chelsea’s decision to go head-to-head with the 43-year-old ‘top level’ represents more than just due diligence. The Guardian reports that the club’s recruitment department has identified a need for strength in the squad, and that assessment boosts Iraola’s appeal significantly.

The Basque coach has built a reputation at Bournemouth on those very qualities – tenacity, pressure, aggression, structure – and there is a growing sense within Chelsea that he is more than capable of growing a club of its size.

Iraola confirmed in April that he will leave Bournemouth when his contract expires at the end of the season, and Crystal Palace have already had two attempts to lure him to Selhurst Park rejected.

He won’t be short of options this summer.

Chelsea want their new manager in place before the World Cup starts next month. The clock is ticking, but the process is ticking.