Xabi Alonso wanted for Chelsea job as appointment timeline accelerates

Chelsea are hoping to appoint their next head coach shortly after the FA Cup final and are becoming increasingly optimistic of it being Xabi Alonso.Standard Sport understands that ex-Liverpool midfielder Alonso has emerged as Chelsea’s preferred candidate following talks.Alonso is chief among them. The outgoing Bournemouth and Crystal Palace managers, Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner, are also candidates, and Chelsea have also spoken with Fulham boss Marco Silva.The ex-Flamengo manager Filipe Luis, a former Chelsea player, also has admirers at Stamford Bridge.In the frame: Xabi Alonso is said to be open to joining Chelsea this summerPAIt is felt internally at Chelsea that the squad would have an immediate level of respect for what Alonso has achieved in a glittering playing career and an encouraging first few years in management if he were to land the job.Alonso is said to be open to the prospect of working at Chelsea but has been seeking assurances from the club over the past week. He had already set his sights on this summer as an appropriate time to get back into management after leaving Madrid after only seven months in January.Many Liverpool fans would like to see him considered for the top job at Anfield but there are no signs currently of the club moving on from Arne Slot despite a difficult season.Palace view Iraola as their favoured candidate to replace Glasner, and if Chelsea manage to convince Alonso to join, it would remove one of the Eagles’ rivals from the equation in their hopes of convincing him to move to Selhurst Park.