Chelsea have had a “direct meeting” with Xabi Alonso

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from DaveOCKOP or go back to LFC Live.

Chelsea have held a direct meeting with Xabi Alonso as the club look to move quickly on their next managerial appointment. Image Credits: Imago ImagesChelsea have held a direct meeting with Xabi Alonso as the club look to move quickly on their next managerial appointment, with a decision expected before the World Cup this summer.Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that those close to Alonso have opened doors to a Premier League chapter, with the 44-year-old open to taking the job at Chelsea in case they can find a good way to go ahead together.That shift in Alonso’s stance is understood to be the driving force behind the wave of stories that emerged this week linking him to Stamford Bridge.It has also been reported that Chelsea were closing in on an agreement, with Xabi Alonso seeking assurances before making the Chelsea decision and the Blues expected to ratify the appointment after the FA Cup final on Saturday.The club also held talks with Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner, Marco Silva and Filipe Luis as part of a wider shortlist before zeroing in on Alonso as their preferred target.Romano, however, has urged caution.Chelsea are still discussing internally and want to be 100% sure before going all in for a manager.The Italian journalist also moved to kill the Liverpool angle entirely, stating he can guarantee that Liverpool never made any direct approach with Xabi Alonso or his agents in 2026.That is significant, because the whisper doing the rounds in recent weeks was that Alonso may be stalling on Chelsea in the hope that Liverpool come calling.

Arne Slot’s second season at Anfield has been a sharp comedown after his title-winning debut campaign, and a frustrated fanbase has been vocal about wanting a change.The sentimental pull of a return to Merseyside for Alonso, a club legend from his playing days, has been hard to ignore.But Romano is clear that Liverpool want to continue with Arne Slot and have not made contact with any other manager.So if Alonso was waiting for that call, it does not appear to be coming anytime soon.His managerial record remains a strong selling point despite the turbulent end at Real Madrid.He won 24 of 34 matches in charge at the Bernabeu before relationships with senior players including Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe reportedly went awry.Before that, his Bayer Leverkusen spell was nothing short of historic, winning 89 of 140 games and delivering the club’s first ever Bundesliga title in an unbeaten Invincible campaign.Chelsea want their new manager in place well before pre-season begins in August.The idea at Stamford Bridge is to get the new manager as soon as possible before the World Cup.With the FA Cup final now done, talks are expected to accelerate rapidly.The next few days could be defining ones in this saga.🚨 Chelsea have had a direct meeting with Xabi Alonso and final decision is expected very soon.#CFC plan to announce their next manager before the World Cup, talks are accelerating.Chelsea also spoke to Iraola, Glasner and Marco Silva as part of their list. pic.twitter.com/fnirun21KS— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 16, 2026 Chelsea Xabi Alonso