A former Premier League star has advised Chelsea to end their pursuit of former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso as their next permanent manager. The London club are currently drawing up a shortlist of candidates to replace Callum McFarlane following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior last month. The English manager would be in charge of the team until the end of the season. The Blues are eager to appoint a new manager before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Chelsea Eye Alonso and Silva
Chelsea have been heavily linked to former Spain international Xabi Alonso following his impressive performance with Bayer Leverkusen two seasons ago. According to Metro Sports, the reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions are also considering landing Andoni Iraola after an impressive season with Bournemouth, who are on the verge of guiding the Cherries to European football.
Meanwhile, former Aston Villa star Gabriel Agbonlahor has thrown his weight behind Fulham manager Marco Silva to become the new manager of Chelsea. The former England international believes that Silva has proven his worth since he joined The Cottagers in 2021. The former Watford star added that the Portuguese manager would not tolerate the excesses like the previous manager.
Agbonlahor's Verdict
He said: "Marco Silva is the perfect character that these big-time Charlies at Chelsea need. The way they've got rid of Rosenior, they'll do it to a soft manager that comes in. They need a hard-hitting manager. Marco Silva doesn't take any nonsense. We've seen him on the sidelines, similar to Antonio Conte's sort of style."
The former England U21 star explained that Marco Silva would make a major impact at Chelsea FC from the start of pre-season. He said: "He will go into that football club Chelsea in pre-season and sort them out. He will work out who's on side, who's going to work hard, who's going to follow runners and who's going to run. How many games this season have Chelsea been outrun? That's incredible. That's the most embarrassing stat for a manager if your team isn't running," per Football365.
The Portuguese tactician guided Fulham to their highest-ever Premier League points tally last season, with the Cottagers currently sitting 11th on the table with 48 points.
Fan Reactions
Some fans reacted to the suggestion of Gabriel Agbonlahor. Read them below:
- @100_Billion_ said: "Gabriel Agbonlahor makes a fair point here. Chelsea's setup with multiple sporting directors and physios involved in team decisions does look complicated from the outside. Top managers usually want clear control."
- @Chelseafans001 wrote: "True. But no coach will take that job knowing what has happened to Maresca and Liam and if they take it I will be happy to see what happened to Maresca happened to them."
Real Madrid Appoint Alonso
Legit.ng earlier reported that Real Madrid have confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new head coach, replacing Carlo Ancelotti in a landmark managerial change at the Santiago Bernabeu. Alonso's announcement follows his emotional farewell to Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the German side to their first-ever Bundesliga title in an unbeaten campaign, also securing a domestic double.
