Chelsea F.C. have appointed Xabi Alonso as their new manager, with the Spanish tactician set to sign a four-year contract with the Premier League side.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, an agreement has already been reached between both parties. Romano revealed that Alonso will be in London next week to complete the formal signing process and be officially unveiled by the club.
The former Liverpool F.C. midfielder is returning to the Premier League for the first time since retiring as a player, but this time he arrives in the dugout as Chelsea’s new head coach.
Reports indicate that the 44-year-old visited London earlier this week to hold final talks and accept the offer from the Stamford Bridge hierarchy. News of his appointment surfaced just hours after Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City F.C. in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
Chelsea moved swiftly in their search for a new manager following the departure of Liam Rosenior. Several high-profile names were considered for the role, including Andoni Iraola of AFC Bournemouth, but Alonso quickly emerged as the club’s preferred candidate.
The Spaniard joins Chelsea after a dramatic spell with Real Madrid CF, where he was dismissed just months into his contract despite recording 10 wins in 11 La Liga matches, including a victory in El Clásico.
Before managing in Spain, Alonso rose to prominence at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, where he led the club to their first Bundesliga title in the 2023/24 season and completed an unbeaten domestic campaign.
Following a difficult season that also saw the exits of Enzo Maresca and Rosenior, Chelsea will be hoping Alonso can bring stability, fresh direction and a return to winning ways at Stamford Bridge.
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