Chelsea has a new man in charge.
Xabi Alonso has agreed to a deal to become the next Chelsea manager, according to multiple reports on Saturday.
The 44-year-old visited London last week and has finalized a four-year contract with an announcement expected soon.
Chelsea fired Liam Rosenior in April after less than four months in charge. He was sacked following five straight Premier League losses. Calum McFarlane has been serving as interim manager since his departure.
Alonso transitioned to managing in 2019 after a lengthy playing career. He was in charge of Real Sociedad from 2019 to 2022 and Bayer Leverkusen from 2022 to 2025. The Spaniard guided Leverkusen to its first Bundesliga title in 2023-24.
The former midfielder then took over Real Madrid but was sacked in January, just seven months into a three-year deal. The team fell behind Barcelona for first place and lost to them in the Supercopa de España final a day before his dismissal.
Chelsea will begin a new era after falling to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
