Chelsea have reached a total agreement with Xabi Alonso to become their new manager, with a deal spanning four years being finalized and an official club announcement expected imminently.
According to The Athletic, Alonso, 44, accepted the role at Stamford Bridge following a visit to London earlier this month. The move ends a managerial vacancy created when Chelsea parted ways with Liam Rosenoir in April, following five consecutive Premier League defeats.
The club’s hierarchy conducted an extensive search before landing on their preferred candidate. Former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was seriously considered before Chelsea turned their full attention to negotiations with the Spaniard.
Alonso has been without a club since leaving Real Madrid in January, departing less than a year into a three year deal at the Santiago Bernabéu. Before his brief spell in Spain, he built his managerial reputation decisively in Germany, steering Bayer 04 Leverkusen to their first ever Bundesliga title in the 2023/24 season and completing that domestic campaign without a single defeat.
The appointment marks his return to English football. Alonso spent five seasons as a player at Liverpool, winning the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League in 2005, a tenure that cemented his standing among the game’s most celebrated midfielders.
Chelsea currently sit ninth in the Premier League table under interim management. Alonso arrives tasked with overseeing a major squad rebuild and returning the west London club to the upper tier of European competition.
