After purchasing Chelsea in 2022, Todd Boehly had to make some huge calls in trying to make the side competitive and to challenge Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for the Premier League title.
The Blues have only won the top-flight once since 2016/17, whilst only finishing in the division’s top-four since the American completed his purchase four years ago.
During such a period, the City boss has claimed the title on six separate occasions, subsequently making the Citizens one of Europe’s most feared outfits.
In an attempt to return to title glory, Boehly has overseen 51 new additions, spending £1.7b in the process, with the vast majority being spent on young talent for the future.
The manager role has also seen youth handed a chance to shine, with 41-year-old Liam Rosenior tasked with leading the Blues to the next level – a decision that proved to be a huge mistake.
|
Liam Rosenior record as Chelsea manager |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Tally |
|
Games |
23 |
|
Wins |
11 |
|
Draws |
2 |
|
Defeats |
10 |
|
Win percentage |
48% |
|
Goals scored per 90 |
2.04 |
|
Goals conceded per 90 |
1.65 |
He lasted just four months in the role at Stamford Bridge, winning just 48% of his matches – making the club’s next appointment vital if they are to be anywhere near a title fight in 2026/27.
Chelsea to make approach for the next Pep Guardiola
Over the last few days, a whole host of names have been touted with the Chelsea manager’s job – with any new boss likely to take the reins upon the end of the current campaign.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has been just one name mentioned with the role, as the Spaniard has announced he will be departing the Vitality at the end of his contract this summer.
Talks have already been held to appoint the 43-year-old in the months ahead, but no deal has yet been reached, leading to other candidates entering the frame.
Former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is just one other manager currently in the Blues’ sights at present, with work expected to made in an attempt to secure his services.
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea are set to make an approach to the Spaniard over the possibility of taking the reins ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
The report also states that the hierarchy are impressed with the 44-year-old’s top-level experience after his spells in charge of Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid.
However, he appears to be a man in demand at present, with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United also keeping tabs on the availability of the manager.
Why Alonso would be Chelsea’s own Guardiola
As previously mentioned, Chelsea fans have often had to sit back and watch Guardiola’s City side dominate the Premier League over the last couple of seasons.
He’s frequently had the upper hand over the Blues during his managerial career, as seen by his staggering record of 18 wins out of 32 matches – a win percentage of 56%.
The Spaniard has now won 15 major trophies during his decade in charge at the Etihad, subsequently cementing himself as one of the best managers to ever grace the Premier League.
|
Most Premier League Titles in History |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Manager |
Club(s) |
Titles |
|
Sir Alex Ferguson |
1 |
13 |
|
Pep Guardiola |
1 |
6 |
|
Jose Mourinho |
1 |
3 |
|
Arsene Wenger |
1 |
3 |
Chelsea’s recent managerial merry-go round has left fans craving continuity and success, with no manager taking charge of over 100 games since BlueCo’s arrival in May 2022.
The Blues only have a UEFA Conference League title to show for their heavy spending, but the potential appointment of Alonso could help transform the club’s fortunes on the pitch.
Whilst he’s unproven in the Premier League during his short managerial career, he’s demonstrated that he’s capable of defying the odds and winning huge trophies.
Alonso, who’s been dubbed a “genius” by Claudio Giraldez, won Leverkusen the Bundesliga for the first time in their history, even managing to do so whilst going invincible and avoiding defeat in all 34 league outings.
He also fell at the final hurdle in the Europa League final against Atalanta during the 2023/24 campaign, with such a defeat the only one his side suffered that term.
The 44-year-old’s stint at Real Madrid also saw him achieve a phenomenal 71% win rate at the Bernabeu, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to keep his job at the LaLiga giants. He did, however, demonstrate his tactical flexibility, switching from a three-man defensive shape in Germany to a 4-2-3-1 in the Spanish capital.
Like Guardiola, he’s ended his professional career as a player and moved into management, subsequently enjoying huge success after being handed the chance to thrive at Leverkusen.
As a result, it won’t come as much of a surprise to learn that plenty of the former midfielder’s managerial philosophies come from City boss, Guardiola.
Last year, writer Marti Perarnau told The Athletic: “The relationship between Pep and Xabi at Bayern was very good, and very intense. They established a friendship, which extended to the families.
“Xabi wanted to understand Pep’s ideas and constantly asked for details to learn them. He was like a sponge, absorbing Guardiola’s ideas about the game.”
His spell in charge of the German side demonstrate similar qualities of Guardiola’s philosophy, subsequently demanding a front-footed and aggressive attacking style.
During the title-winning campaign of 2023/24, his Leverkusen side registering a staggering 89 goals at an average of 2.6 goals scored per 90 – similar to that of City in the Premier League this term.
Any move to Chelsea this summer could allow the Spaniard to continue his managerial career at the top-level, whilst having the opportunity to topple his inspiration in the process.
Whilst it appears as though Iraola could be the number one candidate at present, a move for Alonso would be the perfect opportunity to finally kickstart the BlueCo era at Stamford Bridge.
He’s better than Fabregas: 4-2-3-1 “genius” is now Chelsea’s dream target
Cesc Fabregas is not the only Spanish manager on Chelsea’s radar.
