Chelsea urged to snub Xabi Alonso for ‘perfect’ Premier League manager | Football

Chelsea have been urged to forgo Xabi Alonso and instead hire Premier League-proven manager Marco Silva this summer.

The Blues are currently forming their shortlist to fill their permanent managerial vacancy following the sacking of Liam Rosenior last month.

Callum McFarlane will remain in post until the end of the season, but the Blues are reportedly keen to have a replacement named before the start of this summer’s World Cup.

Recent reports suggest that Chelsea have made contact with former Liverpool midfielder Alonso following his departure from Real Madrid earlier this season.

The Spaniard, who guided Bayer Leverkusen to a historic league and cup double in 2024, is highly regarded by Chelsea and has also been linked with Liverpool as a potential alternative to Arne Slot.

Outgoing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is also said to feature high up in Chelsea’s shortlist, having guided the Cherries to the brink of European football this season.

However, former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor has thrown his support behind Fulham boss Silva, who has proven a steady pair of hands since his appointment at Craven Cottage back in 2021.

The Portuguese coach helped Fulham break their record Premier League points tally last season, and Agbonlahor is confident that the 48-year-old has the ‘perfect’ temperament to whip Chelsea’s young side into shape.

‘Marco Silva is the perfect character that these big-time Charlies at Chelsea need,’ he told talkSPORT.

‘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.

‘He will go into that football club Chelsea in pre-season, sort them out. [He will work out] who’s on side, who’s going to work hard, who’s going to follow runners, who’s going to run?’

Agbonlahor continued: ‘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.

‘When I was finishing football, players were being played because they could run more than players that are probably technically better.

‘So to see that from Chelsea, they need a hard manager like Marco Silva going in there.’

Silva is out of contract at the end of the season, but recently pushed back on any speculation linking hi wit ha move to Stamford Bridge.

‘I don’t pay any attention,’ he said last week. ‘We have decisive games ahead, and all the focus is going to be on them.’

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