Chelsea Stars Decide Preferred Manager Target As ‘Positive Progress’ Made

The Blues want to find their new boss before the World Cup gets underway.

Chelsea are looking to get a deal over the line soon. | Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

The Chelsea squad sees Xabi Alonso as the manager capable of taking them to the next level, a report has revealed, with the Blues working to make their dream a reality.

Since the risky appointment of Liam Rosenior ended in disaster, Chelsea have been working to recruit an elite boss to finally turn their divisive project into a success. Alonso features on a shortlist also believed to include Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Marco Silva, among others.

According to The Guardian, it is Alonso who sits atop the players’ wish list. Many in the dressing room have called for a manager with a big reputation and Alonso, who won the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen after a glittering playing career that brought success with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, fits the bill.

That stance is shared by those in the boardroom. The Times note positive negotiations have been held with Alonso, who is seeking assurances about his responsibilities and the involvement of the sporting directors and owners above him before making any final decisions.

A deal has not yet been agreed—far from it—but things are moving in the right direction and there is reported to be a belief that Alonso will become Chelsea’s next manager.

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The Obstacles Standing Between Alonso and Chelsea

Xabi Alonso is wanted by Chelsea. | Fadel SENNA/AFP/Getty Images

It is no secret that Chelsea’s reputation has taken a beating under the BlueCo ownership group, whose controversial, expensive approach to business has come nowhere near meeting expectations.

With the Blues almost certain to miss out on Champions League qualification and surrounded by a narrative that those upstairs are impossible to work with, there have been suggestions that managers would be keen to distance themselves from the Blues, although The Athletic’s David Ornstein gleefully branded those suggestions “nonsense.”

There is still interest in the Chelsea job, but Alonso is said to be seeking assurances from the hierarchy about what he can expect from them if he takes the position.

Among the issues highlighted by Alonso is an input in the club’s recruitment. Chelsea currently operate with a data-driven model led by the leadership team of co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, recruitment chiefs Joe Shields and Sam Jewell and, of course, co-owner Behdad Eghbali.

Alonso is said to be seeking more involvement in transfers and it is believed that Chelsea officials are prepared to make that agreement. It is stressed there would be “zero desire” to impose players on the former midfielder.

Blues officials have vowed to evaluate their model after another bruising campaign which has been full of protests from disgruntled supporters, although there are not expected to be any significant changes.

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