Why Xabi Alonso preferred Chelsea to Liverpool | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso is on the verge of becoming the next Chelsea manager, eschewing a dream return to former club Liverpool. 

Multiple reports claim that an agreement has been reached on a four-year contract and an announcement could be made as soon as Sunday. All that’s left is for the agents and solicitors to dot the I’s and cross the T’s on the paperwork.

Landing Alonso is something of a coup for the Blues, who have sacked two managers this season. It was only a year ago when he was the most in-demand coach on the scene and could have had his pick of clubs following his success at Bayer Leverkusen. He took the reins at Real Madrid, but he only lasted seven months into a three-year deal at the Bernabeu.

The 44-year-old enjoyed a strong start in the Spanish capital, winning all but one of his first 11 La Liga matches. The honeymoon didn’t last long, though, as the superstar egos in the dressing room proved too difficult to handle and he was out by January.

It is somewhat ironic, then, that he should choose to join Chelsea, which has had its fair share of backstage drama throughout the season. Between Enzo Maresca airing his grievances with the hierarchy in public to certain players openly talking about potentially playing for other clubs (or, in Enzo Fernandez’ specific case, living in another city), there has been a lot of noise emanating out of Stamford Bridge.

It begs the question: why choose the chaos of Chelsea over a dream return to Liverpool?

Alonso is one of the most beloved footballers to have played for the Reds this century and will forever remain a club legend for playing a key role in their iconic Champions League win in 2005. He would taking over a team (likely) to be in that competition next season, whereas Chelsea may not even qualify for Europe. And the supporters would shower him in love and affection for replacing the increasingly unpopular Arne Slot in the dugout.

But details have emerged that make clear why he has decided to make the move to London.

Why Xabi Alonso preferred Chelsea to Liverpool

The most plainly obvious reason is that there isn’t currently a vacancy at Liverpool. Slot remains in situ and reports suggest the decision makers at the club will stick with him despite a disappointing Premier League title defence.

Still, that situation could easily change in the coming weeks. Liverpool have been largely abysmal to watch this season, drawing jeers and boos from the fans at times. The Dutchman’s position is becoming more and more untenable following Friday’s 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa, with Mo Salah posting a damning statement on Saturday calling on the club to return to “heavy metal attacking football”.

Had Alonso been a little more patient he could have walked into the job. It seems, however, that he genuinely prefers the opportunity to manage Chelsea over his former club.

Negotiations between the two parties have moved quickly, indicating Alonso is keen to take on the role, even with all the baggage that comes with the club in the BlueCo era.

Read – The Premier League clubs with the most FA Cup final appearances

Crucially, the hierarchy have promised Alonso he will have a say in transfer matters, according to The Telegraph. Although he won’t be given “full control” of player recruitment, he will be granted a “more meaningful” role in the decision-making process than some of his predecessors.

If this is the case, the fact that Alonso’s role will be that of ‘manager’ rather than ‘head coach’ is more than just symbolic. Thomas Tuchel is the only boss who has had a significant input in signings since Clearlake Capital bought the club and that was only because a proper recruitment department was yet to be assembled. The Spaniard’s remit will almost certainly be broader than that of Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Maresca or Liam Rosenior.

Chelsea possess a talented squad, one that Alonso “expressed a preference to work with”. But it’s generally accepted that their focus on signing young talents has hindered them from challenging for the biggest trophies. That is about to change.

In an interview with Sky Sports last month, co-owner Behdad Eghbali promised the club will look to “add more ready-made players” who will take the squad to “the next level”. The prospect of upgrading key areas of a squad that Alonso already admired was no doubt attractive.

Chelsea missing out on European football could also prove to be a blessing in disguise for the incoming manager. He will have more time to implement his ideas and get the best out of his players without having to contend with midweek trips across the continent.

While Chelsea is a bit of mess right now, it could be turned around in a relatively quick fashion, on the pitch at least. They boast the second-most expected goals (65.02xG) in the Premier League this season according to Opta, but have scored 55 actual goals; variance has gone against them this year, but it could easily flip back around next season.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have overperformed slightly relative to their xG, but there are bigger problems beyond their underlying statistics. The squad that won the Premier League title only a year ago has been reduced to a patchwork of underwhelming big money signings and ill-fitting jigsaw pieces. Two of their key men of the last decade, Salah and Andy Robertson, are set to leave at the end of the season and need replacing. Major surgery is required, even though they spent a record amount of money on transfer fees just last summer.

In that context, Liverpool looks like a much bigger and more complicated project than the one on offer at Chelsea. The Merseyside outfit may look back on their decision not to chase Alonso as a major blunder. Time will tell.

Read – Power Rankings: PSG and Inter Milan celebrate silverware

See Also – The Premier League managerial carousel: Who goes where?

Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok