Chelsea will know that they need to bring in a quality manager this summer. The club went with the experimental choice in Liam Rosenior, thinking they would simply replace Enzo Maresca with another head coach already under their umbrella. That will probably go down as the worst appointment in the club’s history.
Rosenior lasted a little over three months, the shortest reign for a permanent manager in Chelsea history. And by the end of it, he was breaking losing records that had stood for more than a century.
Xabi Alonso is someone who has been suggested the preferred option for Chelsea. That being said, there seems to be two kinds of reporting on the situation coming out in the media.
There are one set of reporters suggesting that Alonso is the clear favourite and that talks are being held with his camp. Then there are another group claiming that the Spaniard is one of a number of options and there is no clear favourite yet.
Why Chelsea might be trying to downplay Xabi Alonso rumours despite wanting him
There is a logical reason behind Chelsea wanting to keep the Alonso rumours quiet, even if they do indeed want him.
According to MaxFSport on X, Alonso is who Chelsea want, and there have been ongoing talks about the project. If the Spaniard does not join the Blues, it will not be down to the lack of trying, but perhaps because he moves to Liverpool or decides the job is not right for him.
Whoever joins, Chelsea will say they were the number one option and have full faith in him. Also, the club themselves want to keep things quiet, so it should not be a surprise if Alonso is downplayed and they say the race is still open. It technically is, but the Spaniard is the one they want, but there won’t be a mass release on that information from club-based journalists out of fear of making it look like they ‘missed out’ on their first choice.
No news might not be bad news when it comes to Xabi Alonso
Here is the clear situation. It does not seem like Liverpool want a new manager this summer and Arne Slot also seems certain that he will keep his job. After all, they are set to qualify for the Champions League.
Yes, there were boos at Anfield. But one would not imagine that would be enough to change the mind of the club on a Premier League-winning manager.
Other than Liverpool, who else is in the race for Alonso? It does not feel like any other top club is at the moment. Of course, he could choose to wait for the right project if he thinks Chelsea is not the one for him. But to me, it feels like the Blues have a good chance here but they need to do everything possible to convince him. Other than the Spaniard, there is no standout candidate out there at the moment who fits the job description.
