Bombshell in London — Xabi Alonso is Chelsea’s new manager!
Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 16.05.26. | 22:23
The legendary Spaniard is taking over the struggling Blues and will sign a four-year contract
Chelsea’s “crisis PR operation” has shifted into fifth gear... Shortly after losing the FA Cup final to Manchester City, a bombshell arrived from England — Xabi Alonso is set to become Chelsea’s new manager!
It is not official yet, but every major outlet, including Sky Sports and The Athletic, is reporting the same story — Alonso has agreed to all terms in order to take over at Chelsea. He will replace Liam Rosenior and attempt to revive the struggling London giants after yet another disastrous and traumatic season. An official announcement is expected on Monday.
An agreement has been completed for Xabi Alonso to become the new Chelsea manager.
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 16, 2026
Alonso, 44, visited London early last week and has accepted the opportunity, with a four-year contract now being finalised and an announcement expected imminently.
Alonso was the club’s top… pic.twitter.com/z3GOT2ic9g
The Basque coach is set to sign a four-year contract and will be given the opportunity to reshape things at Stamford Bridge. Alonso had long been linked with the Liverpool job, where he spent some of the best years of his playing career alongside his time at Real Madrid, the club that dismissed him in January following Florentino Perez’s shocking decision.
However, with Arne Slot now increasingly expected to survive at Liverpool despite everything that happened this season, Alonso has chosen Chelsea instead. The very fact that one of the most elegant midfielders of the 21st century is returning to football management is huge news in itself — but the surprise is that he chose Chelsea.
The West London club have not been genuine contenders for the biggest trophies in English and European football for quite some time, while their Club World Cup title can almost be viewed as a statistical anomaly, even if it served as a reward for Enzo Maresca’s work — work for which the club arguably treated him unfairly.
Alonso arrives to replace Rosenior, who lasted less than three months in charge of Chelsea. To be fair, it was not entirely his fault for accepting the role, even though many immediately felt he lacked both the pedigree and profile required for a club of Chelsea’s stature. The bigger issue was that the American owners believed attractive football and a seventh-place finish in the French league were enough credentials.
In recent weeks, speculation surrounding Rosenior’s successor had intensified. Xavi was mentioned as a serious candidate before those reports were denied, leaving names such as Marco Silva — who now seems likely to join Benfica — Oliver Glasner, Andoni Iraola, Cesc Fabregas, who never wanted to leave Como this summer, and another former Chelsea player, Filipe Luis.
Alonso was also on Chelsea’s shortlist, but very few people believed he would actually choose the club or that Chelsea could convince him to seriously consider the move. It is expected that Alonso will have a major influence over transfer decisions, although that remains to be seen in practice given how recklessly the American ownership has spent around €1.5 billion with very little to show for it.
Joe Cole: "The fact that the Xabi Alonso news has dropped now after losing an FA Cup final stinks of a PR move. The club needs to get away from that. It's all over the place at the moment. Fans want honesty."
— Chels HQ (@Chels_HQ) May 16, 2026
(@footballontnt)
Chelsea are currently close to missing out on European football next season. They sit ninth in the table and managed just one point in their last match following a run of six consecutive league defeats.
Xabi Alonso will become the fifth permanent manager appointed since Todd Boehly and his investment group took over the club. Before him came Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca, and Liam Rosenior.