Xabi Alonso among top contenders to be next permanent Chelsea manager | OneFootball

Chelsea are considering Xabi Alonso, Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva as potential candidates for their fifth permanent managerial appointment of the BlueCo era.

The club is understood to be taking a deliberate approach to selecting a successor for Liam Rosenior, who was dismissed last week, with several names currently under review.

A more experienced appointment is preferred, following the failed experiment with Rosenior, who had no prior Premier League management experience and only two senior roles to his name. No decision is anticipated before the season concludes, with first-team coach Calum McFarlane set to lead the side in the interim.

However, checks are expected to be conducted on Alonso, Iraola and Silva, all of whom could be available at the end of the current campaign.

Fulham manager Silva’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and he has yet to commit his future to Craven Cottage.

Meanwhile, Iraola confirmed earlier in April that he would be departing Bournemouth next month.

Andoni Iraola is set to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season (PA)

Former Liverpool midfielder Alonso has not worked since being sacked by Real Madrid in January. Despite this, the 44-year-old possesses a strong pedigree, having won the Champions League twice as a player and guided Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten Bundesliga season, culminating in their 2024 title victory.

While neither Silva nor Iraola have managed clubs at Europe’s elite level, both have made significant impressions in the Premier League.

Iraola led Bournemouth to a joint-highest ninth-place finish last season and currently has them vying for a historic European qualification spot.

Silva has also steered Fulham into contention for Europe, having secured their promotion from the Championship in 2022 and achieving their best top-flight points tally last season.

The club’s last two appointments, Enzo Maresca and Rosenior, both lacked Premier League management experience. Maresca had just led Leicester to the Championship title, following stints with Manchester City’s Under-23s and as Pep Guardiola’s assistant.

Rosenior’s experience included a season at Hull in the Championship and 18 months at Strasbourg, where he qualified for the Conference League.

In announcing Rosenior’s departure, a club statement indicated a “process of self-reflection to make the right long-term appointment”.

Internally, there is an acknowledgement that appointing such an inexperienced coach was a misstep, and a different direction is now being pursued for their next managerial choice.