Xabi Alonso Reportedly Hired As Chelsea Manager for 2026 EPL Season, Latest Contract Details
Spanish soccer legend Xabi Alonso has reportedly signed on to be the next manager of Premier League power Chelsea.
David Ornstein of The Athletic reported Saturday that Alonso reached a four-year contract with Chelsea following a meeting in London last week, and an official announcement regarding the move is now imminent.
Alonso will replace interim manager Calum McFarlane, who was elevated after the firing of Liam Rosenior in April, less than four months into his tenure with the club.
Per Ornstein, Alonso was Chelsea's "top target throughout" the hiring process, and Alonso "wanted" to make the move to Stamford Bridge.
Alonso played professionally from 1999 to 2017 as a midfielder, playing 114 matches at Real Sociedad, 143 at Liverpool, 158 at Real Madrid and 79 at Bayern Munich.
He also appeared in 114 matches for Spain at the senior international level, helping lead them to a FIFA World Cup win in 2010.
Alonso transitioned into a managerial role with Real Sociedad's B squad in 2019, and he parlayed that into the Bayer Leverkusen head coaching position in 2022.
The 44-year-old won a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup title at Leverkusen before being named head coach of Real Madrid in 2025.
His time at Real Madrid was short-lived, though, as he and the club parted ways in January, just eight months after he was hired.
Los Blancos are currently second in the La Liga standings, 11 points behind rival Barcelona, who clinched the title with a win in last week's Clásico.
At Chelsea, Alonso will take over a club that was once consistently among the best in the world before falling on hard times in more recent years.
Chelsea have won six Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League titles, but their last domestic league crown came in 2017, and they haven't won the Champions League since 2021.
The Blues are currently ninth in the Premier League standings this season, and that comes on the heels of 12th-, sixth- and fourth-place finishes the past three seasons.
