Alonso reaches agreement in principle to be next Chelsea boss

Spaniard Xabi Alonso has reached an agreement in principle on a four-year deal to become Chelsea 's next permanent manager. The appointment of the former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen boss, 44, is expected in the coming days. Chelsea have been keen to secure a replacement for Liam Rosenior, who was sacked last month.

BBC Sport reported on Monday that Chelsea had started contacting prospective new managers, including Alonso, Bournemouth 's Andoni Iraola, Fulham 's Marco Silva and Crystal Palace 's Oliver Glasner. However, former Real and Liverpool midfielder Alonso emerged as the club's preferred candidate and talks have now reached a conclusion. The club were keen to get the FA Cup final against Manchester City out of the way before making any knowledge of their appointment public. Talks have been ongoing for a number of weeks and Alonso is understood to have been open to the role if he received certain assurances. Alonso has been linked with a potential move to Liverpool , where he spent five seasons as a player, in recent weeks with the pressure on Arne Slot increasing following a disappointing season. But it is understood the Anfield club are preparing to stick with Slot for next season - although it remains to be seen whether Liverpool 's stance alters should the team fail to qualify for the Champions League. Alonso has been out of work since he left Real after less than eight months in charge in January. He led Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title - secured without losing a game - as well as the German Cup in his first full season as a senior club manager during the 2023-24 campaign before moving to the Bernabeu last summer. Alonso, a World Cup winner in 2010, took up his first coaching role with Real Madrid's under-14s side in 2018. After impressing in three years in charge of Real Sociedad's B team, his first managerial role in first-team football came when he took over at Bayer Leverkusen in October 2022. He lifted the club from second from bottom to a sixth-place finish in the 2022-23 Bundesliga, before securing the club's first German title the following season and becoming the first side to win the competition with an unbeaten record. A Europa League final defeat by Atalanta represented their only loss in 53 games in all competitions, before they completed a domestic double in the German Cup.

Key points

• BBC Sport reported on Monday that Chelsea had started contacting prospective new managers, including Alonso, Bournemouth 's Andoni Iraola, Fulham 's Marco Silva and Crystal Palace 's Oliver Glasner.
• However, former Real and Liverpool midfielder Alonso emerged as the club's preferred candidate and talks have now reached a conclusion.
• The club were keen to get the FA Cup final against Manchester City out of the way before making any knowledge of their appointment public.
• Talks have been ongoing for a number of weeks and Alonso is understood to have been open to the role if he received certain assurances.
• Alonso has been linked with a potential move to Liverpool , where he spent five seasons as a player, in recent weeks with the pressure on Arne Slot increasing following a disappointing season.