Xabi Alonso is among betting favourites for the Chelsea job. But is he suitable? – The Athletic
Chelsea travel to Liverpool this weekend at a time when both clubs are looking closely at what the future of their leadership could look like. Former Liverpool player Xabi Alonso is a betting favourite to become the next permanent manager at both clubs.
But the focus is more sharply towards the Chelsea angle, for now. They are in ninth place in the Premier League table and whoever takes over permanently this summer will be tasked with turning around a team that has badly lost its way of late.
Chelsea have lost eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions, with Calum McFarlane taking up an interim boss role while they figure things out.
Enzo Maresca couldn’t succeed in the environment and neither could Liam Rosenior, who lasted just 107 days in the job. Could Alonso be the solution? Might he be the manager Chelsea are looking for?
At 2/1, Alonso is joint-favourite to be named Chelsea manager for the first game of the 2026-27 season, with Andoni Iraola also listed at the same price.
Marco Silva is also in contention at 6/1, while Xavi and Frank Lampard (7/1) are included in the odds list. With the end of the season in sight, Chelsea must accelerate their process of hiring a new boss.
Alonso might be the most compelling candidate and is available following his departure from Real Madrid earlier in the season. At the Bernabeu, the former midfielder struggled to win over the big personalities within the dressing room. It also did not help that Alonso inherited a squad ill-equipped to play his brand of football.
During his Bundesliga-winning time at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso favoured an aggressive, front-foot style of play that made his team one of the most entertaining to watch anywhere in Europe.
In the season they won the title, Leverkusen won possession in the final third (6.6 per 90 minutes) more than any other Bundesliga side, highlighting Alonso’s desire to press from the front.
Chelsea, on the other hand, rank a lowly 10th for the same metric in the Premier League this season. Alonso might not have the players to play the way he wants to play as Blues boss.
Someone such as Alonso might appeal for this very reason, though. While Chelsea made some progress as a possession-oriented outfit under Maresca, they lost all sense of identity with Rosenior at the helm.
Alonso also has a good track record in developing young players, having turned Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong into stars who would eventually make Leverkusen a lot of money in the transfer market.
Tactically, Alonso used a 3-4-2-1 formation at Leverkusen, hinting at the framework he could install upon taking over at Stamford Bridge.
Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto could feasibly operate as high-and-wide wing-backs. On top of this, Chelsea’s lack of genuine quality in the wide areas might make a narrow front three a wise choice.
In central defence, though, Chelsea simply might not have the players to make Alonso’s system work without Reece James operating as a right-sided centre back. The Blues have sometimes struggled to field just two central defenders this season due to injuries.
At Madrid, Alonso demonstrated his willingness to adapt, generally using a 4-3-3. Whether that was by design or as a compromise is unclear, but Alonso might have more strings to his bow than is immediately apparent.
Alonso may yet have more than one job offer this summer. Indeed, the 44-year-old has been spoken about as a potential replacement for Arne Slot, should the Dutchman leave Liverpool this summer.
Supporters have even sung Alonso’s name during matches, unhappy at the standard of their team’s performances this season. His return to Anfield would be a popular one. At 4/11, Alonso is the firm favourite to be Liverpool’s next manager. The Spaniard might prefer taking over the Reds even after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.
Could Alonso face or replace Arne Slot in the Premier League next season? (Ryan Crockett/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Chelsea and Liverpool meet at Anfield on Saturday, and the away side require someone to give them a new identity and direction. Alonso might have the strength of personality to do that, just as he did as Leverkusen manager.
At Leverkusen, Alonso also worked under a sporting director who guided the majority of the club’s activity in the transfer market. This is something BlueCo would surely view as attractive about the Spanish manager.
Alonso must be careful not to make another misstep in his managerial career. While many might be willing to write off what happened in Madrid, a second failure in quick succession would raise questions about his coaching ability.
After the struggles of Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Maresca and Rosenior at Stamford Bridge in recent times, it will be a brave man who next takes on the Chelsea job, believing they can fix them.
