Chelsea confident of appointing Xabi Alonso but Andoni Iraola talks continue – Sources

Chelsea are confident that Xabi Alonso will agree to join them this summer after fresh talks in the last 48 hours.

Chelsea are keen to appoint Alonso as their next manager following the sacking of Liam Rosenior in April. The Blues have been in talks with the Spaniard, who is a free agent after parting ways with Real Madrid in January.

BlueCo have had the former Bayer Leverkusen man as their top candidate since the start of the month, while Andoni Iraola was their Plan B. There were fears that Liverpool would make a late swoop, but the fresh round of talks have suggested that the Reds will not be making a move.

The Anfield side are happy with Arne Slot despite the uproar among fans. The Dutchman is yet to pen a new deal, and sources suggested that he could walk away from the club, but Liverpool owners FSG has since reassured him that they are fully backing him in the summer.

Chelsea closing in on Xabi Alonso

Chelsea held fresh talks with Alonso and his entourage this week, which The Sportzine sources say were the fourth significant round of discussions between the two sides. The Blues are keen to appoint him before the FIFA World Cup kicks off next month, but recent developments suggest the agreement could be sealed before the end of the month.

They have not yet walked away from talks with Iraola, who has Crystal Palace pushing him for an agreement. There are still key details to sort out with Alonso, so the FA Cup finalists are not ending talks with the AFC Bournemouth boss before the former Real Madrid man puts pen to paper with them.

Meanwhile, Filipe Luis has a big decision to make as Chelsea’s BlueCo want him at Strasbourg, while Fulham and Watford are also interested in appointing the Brazilian.