Chelsea are hoping to confirm Xabi Alonso as their new manager as soon as next week after stepping up their pursuit of the former Liverpool star. Alonso, 44, has been out of work since January, having been sacked by Real Madrid following a tumultuous seven-month spell in charge at the Bernabeu.
The Spaniard previously managed Bayer Leverkusen, where he oversaw a remarkable unbeaten season and ended Bayern Munich's 11-year stronghold on the Bundesliga title, as well as winning the German cup. After considering candidates such as Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva, Chelsea believe that Alonso is the right man to succeed interim boss Calum McFarlane, who will be in charge for Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester City.
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea want to finalise Alonso's appointment within days of the final, and there is optimism that the former Madrid and Leverkusen manager is willing to join. Alonso is viewed as the standout candidate to become Liam Rosenior's permanent successor, with the Blues looking for a new manager for the fifth time in four years.
The 44-year-old has also been linked with the Liverpool job, which could become available if Arne Slot is sacked. However, Anfield chiefs are unlikely to make a change should they qualify for the Champions League. The sight of Alonso in the Stamford Bridge dugout might sting for some Liverpool fans, although club legend Jamie Carragher would like him to succeed.
"If he does get the job, I'll probably want Chelsea to win a little bit more than I normally do with him being a former team-mate," Carragher told Sky Sports. "We'll see if Xabi gets the job, and if he does really well next season. That may be a masterstroke next season by not listening to the pressure of the supporters and sticking with the manager (Slot) who's already won the Premier League."
As for McFarlane's verdict on Alonso, he said: "There's a lot of names linked with the job. It's not really my place to say who should get it, or who's a good manager, who's not a good manager. My job is to prepare the team for Saturday and that's all I'll be focusing on."
