Chelsea Agree Four-Year Deal With New Manager Moments After FA Cup Final Loss

Chelsea are reportedly close to appointing Xabi Alonso as their new manager, with an announcement potentially coming as soon as Sunday following accelerated negotiations with the former Real Madrid midfielder.

The ex-Liverpool star has emerged as the frontrunner for the Stamford Bridge job, moving ahead of other strong candidates such as Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, Fulham's Marco Silva, and outgoing Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner.

Securing Alonso would be a significant achievement for Chelsea, as the former Bayer Leverkusen manager is widely considered one of Europe's elite coaches. If appointed, he would become the sixth permanent manager under the ownership of Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly, following Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca, and Liam Rosenior.

After sounding out several potential candidates, Chelsea quickly identified Alonso as their top target. He is now expected to sign a four-year contract with the club as per The Athletic.

This move signals a potential shift in strategy for the club, moving away from up-and-coming coaches to a high-profile name. The decision comes amid growing fan discontent, highlighted by a protest of around 200 supporters on Wembley Way expressing their frustration with the current ownership.

The club's recent managerial changes have been frequent. Maresca was dismissed just months after guiding the team to UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup victories. Despite heavy investment in young players on long-term deals, the strategy has failed to yield positive results this season.

This development comes hours after Chelsea's FA Cup final loss to Manchester City and underscores the club's urgency to return to winning ways after a turbulent campaign that also saw the dismissal of Rosenior following a poor run of form.

Chelsea are facing the prospect of missing out on Champions League qualification and could be without any European football next season. Nevertheless, the club appears to have successfully persuaded Alonso to take on the challenge of restoring their status among Europe's elite.