Revealed: Frank Lampard to Chelsea update today
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(Credit: Imago) Sun 17 May 2026 8:00, UK Chelsea “spoke” to managers including Andoni Iraola and Frank Lampard before agreeing a deal with Xabi Alonso, sources have told Football Insider.Coventry City’s Lampard, whose twice held the reins at Stamford Bridge, and the current AFC Bournemouth boss were leading contenders for the position after Liam Rosenior’s sacking.However, Football Insider has now revealed that Alonso, 44, is set to take charge of Chelsea, with an announcement expected over the coming days.Calum McFarlane has been in charge of the Blues for the final games of the campaign.However, the caretaker boss was unable to guide them to FA Cup glory on Saturday, when they lost to Manchester City, and that has opened the door for Chelsea to appoint their next manager. 👔 Chelsea Manager News👔 Get the inside track on the Stamford Bridge dugout with updates on shortlisted candidates and BlueCo technical strategy. VISIT THE MANAGER HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Where will Andoni Iraola end up?Iraola has been heavily successful at Bournemouth.Since joining the Cherries in 2023, he has turned the club from a relegation-threatened side into contenders for European football.Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth careerGames managed 125Wins 47Draws38Losses40Win percentage37.6%Iraola has been excellent at BournemouthThere is a good chance that the manager could lead Bournemouth to Champions League qualification this season, as long as they finish sixth and Aston Villa end their campaign in fifth with the Europa League trophy.Iraola’s work with young players has also been impressive.
The manager has managed to turn the likes of Eli Junior Kroupi, Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen into stars, with the latter two now playing for Liverpool and Real Madrid.Therefore, it is unlikely that he will be out of work for long.Could Crystal Palace appoint Iraola?Former Man United assistant manager Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider that Iraola is a top target for Crystal Palace this summer.With Oliver Glasner set to depart the Eagles in the summer, the club is in need of a new manager.The boss is not expected to make a decision before seeing out the season with Bournemouth, but contact has been made as the Eagles line up their next appointment.Palace are hopeful that they can be successful in their pursuit, while Iraola is no rush to make a decision.However, the recent Chelsea developments with Alonso may have put the Eagles in a stronger position to confirm the appointment.Nevertheless, it remains to be seen who Palace look to appoint in the summer, with the club unlikely to be short on candidates, especially if they are in Europe once more after winning the Conference League. 🦁 Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Chelsea Insider Access Get the full story from Stamford Bridge and Cobham with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from West London.