Incredible Chelsea manager target ‘open’ to top job as major option ‘delays’ next move | OneFootball

Legendary former Barcelona player and manager Xavi is reportedly ‘open’ to the prospect of taking the vacant Chelsea job this summer, while another major target takes a step back on his next move.

The Blues are being proactive in their search for Liam Rosenior’s replacement at Stamford Bridge, after the 41-year-old’s turbulent 23-game  reign was ended last month.

A run of six successive Premier League defeats has left Chelsea now scrambling to secure a European football, with their Champions League now all but done.

While the club does have an FA Cup against Manchester City to look forward to, the 3-1 weekend defeat to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest showcased the issues the next permanent manager will have to deal with.

Despite that, a number of top names continued to be linked with the role, including the likes of Xabi Alonso, Oliver Glasner, Cesc Fabregas and Andoni Iraola, who has already confirmed he will be leaving Bournemouth come the summer.

Meanwhile, Xavi is also being strongly considered by Chelsea’s hierarchy and according to a report from talkSPORT, the Blues made an initial approach for the 46-year-old.

The former Barca boss is said to be ‘open’ to the idea of leading Chelsea next season, having been out of work since his dismissal in Catalonia back in May 2024.

Indeed, he stated back in 2019, when he was being linked with a move to Chelsea before becoming Barcelona chief: “Who doesn’t like the Premier League? The football atmosphere, the packed stadiums and the people who play in the Premier League say it’s extraordinary.

“Obviously if I had to choose, I would choose a big team, Manchester City or Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham.”

However, it’s also stated that the west London outfit are ‘prioritising other candidates’ at this stage, as they go through a ‘thorough recruitment process’, after recent misses when it came to sacked duo Enzo Maresca and Rosenior.

Chelsea target Iraola in no rush over next job

One such candidate, Iraola, will opt to ‘delay his decision’ for his next move after a ‘new approach’, with Crystal Palace joining the race to appoint him, as per reports.

Football Insider‘s Pete O’Rourke, when discussing Iraola’s future, said: 2For Iraola, he’s not going to rush into anything.

“He’s going to have lots of options and offers probably in the summer, not just from the Premier League, there’ll be interest from some top European leagues in him as well.

“He’ll have to be convinced by the project, but look, Chelsea are a huge club, huge ambitions.”