Former Real Madrid boss and ex-Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has been appointed Chelsea’s new permanent manager and will start work in the summer ahead of the 2026-27 campaign
09:00, 17 May 2026Updated 16:28, 17 May 2026
Xabi Alonso is Chelsea’s new manager(Image: Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Xabi Alonso will be expected to guide Chelsea back to being one of Europe’s elite clubs.
Former Real Madrid boss Alonso has agreed a four-year contract with guarantees that he will be given money to spend on big name signings and have a say in transfers. Chelsea have given Alonso the title as manager rather than head coach because of his stature in the game but also he will have more authority in the club’s structure.
Incredibly, Alonso is Chelsea’s sixth permanent manager of the Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly era – following on from Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior – but there is an admission the club has lost its way.
The Chelsea hierarchy accept they fell below standards this season and are now facing the real prospect of not being in Europe next year after losing the FA Cup final to manchester-city-fc>Manchester City and slipping down the Premier League table.
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But after Eghbali and Boehly tried to introduce a different model – buying and selling young players rather than signing established stars – they will now give Alonso a major say on transfers.
Chelsea are certain to be busy this summer as they look to sell and to buy to rebuild their faltering squad as they accept they have fallen well short this season. Chelsea also accept that they will have to buy more proven talent to get back to the top.
Former Liverpool midfielder Alonso will work closely with Chelsea’s five sporting directors – headed up by Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart – but will have a bigger say than previous managers.
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The move is designed to try and win back the fans while also delivering a clear message of intent as they look to get back to challenging for the Premier League title as well as the biggest trophies in Europe.
They believe Alonso is the manager to take the club into the “next phase” of this ownership and recruiting him is a huge coup because of strong interest from other clubs.
Alonso will officially take over on July 1 and will be unveiled officially after reporting for duty in pre-season.
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