"This is the plan" - Fabrizio Romano provides update on Chelsea manager search | OneFootball

Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Chelsea’s search for a new manager amid links with Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola.

The Blues recently sacked Liam Rosenior and now plan to move quickly for a replacement, with Alonso and Iraola seeming to be two main candidates.

There have been a few names linked in recent times, but Alonso is available and has a fine reputation in the game, with Ben Jacobs recently posting the below on X about the Spanish tactician being a leading candidate for the vacancy at Stamford Bridge…

Now Romano has also spoken on his YouTube channel about Alonso and Iraola, giving some sense of Chelsea’s plans.

Fabrizio Romano on Chelsea’s manager search

Discussing the CFC links with Alonso and Iraola, Romano said: “I think in the next days we will update also on the Chelsea manager situation. What I can confirm is that my understanding apart from Xabi Alonso conversations with his agent, and Xabi Alonso would be open to returning to the Premier League.

“And Raiola who wants to stay in the Premier League and would be excited about the possibility to do that at Chelsea eventually.

“So apart from the managers being mentioned, the idea at Chelsea is to get the new manager as soon as possible before the workup. This is the plan. So in almost one month for sure Chelsea want to have everything already signed, already announced, already completed. This is the timing in mind at Chelsea. Then obviously this depends on the conversations on talks.

“So let’s wait and see how this will continue but Chelsea are moving forward with the project and the idea to appoint a new manager as soon as possible.”

Can anyone save Chelsea from their current crisis?

Chelsea is a difficult project right now, so it’s not going to be easy for even the best managers to come in and work in these conditions.

This ownership have proven tough to work with, and impatient for results straight away, despite the contradictory approach of signing large numbers of young players for the future.

Alonso impressed and performed well beyond expectations at Bayer Leverkusen, but then struggled at Real Madrid, so it will be interesting to see how those contrasting experiences set him up for the Chelsea job if that is where he ends up going.