Xabi Alonso (45), who tasted failure at Real Madrid, set a condition that he would not let go of the key player Real is targeting.
Simon Phillips, a reporter covering Chelsea, said on his social media on the 17th (Korea time) that Alonso and Chelsea had signed a formal contract.
Chelsea finished the season 'without honors' after losing 0-1 to Manchester City in the FA Cup final held on the 16th. The news of Alonso's appointment, which emerged amid a depressed team atmosphere, is a signal of a full-scale overhaul by the club.
Phillips said, "Chelsea and Xabi Alonso have agreed terms and the length of the contract. All parties are now working to finalize it as quickly as possible," and added, "Alonso is talking with Chelsea players and wants to keep Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernández."
Alonso's arrival at Chelsea is essentially a stage for restoring his honor. Alonso had been unemployed for four months after being sacked as Real Madrid's manager last January.
Last 2023-24 season, Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to the first 'undefeated title' in Bundesliga history. Alonso also achieved the 'undefeated double' by winning the DFB-Pokal, but less than a year after joining Real last summer, he had to step down.
Interestingly, Alonso, who suffered the pain of being dismissed at Real due to conflicts with the club hierarchy and failure to command the locker room, has actively moved to protect Fernández (25), who caused transfer speculation following alleged disgruntlement within Chelsea.
Alonso appears determined to use Fernández as the tactical centerpiece to restore his reputation. Fernández was especially the top target Real Madrid most wanted to pursue this summer to strengthen their midfield.
Left back Cucurella was accused of leaking internal team information to the outside. His barber proudly shared Chelsea injury news on social media. Former manager Liam Rosenior defended Cucurella, but it provoked fans' anger.
But Alonso seems to have demanded a 'no-transfer' policy for them at the negotiation table with Chelsea. Alonso began communicating directly with the players even before signing the contract, effectively blocking Real's targets at the source.
Chelsea's leadership was not concerned about the failures Alonso left behind at Real. Instead, they showed full trust in the achievements and tactical capabilities he built during his Leverkusen days.
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