Xabi Alonso 'matches Leveruksen plan' as Chelsea close in on two signings
Xabi Alonso looks to be prioritising the signing of experienced players at Chelsea as he attempts to buck the trend of short tenures at Stamford Bridge.
That is according to former senior Tottenham, Aston Villa and Everton scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The Spaniard was appointed in May, after a season in which both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior had left the club.
Alonso arrives with high expectations off the back of his extremely successful stint with Bayer Leverkusen, even if his time at Real Madrid ended poorly.
The 44-year-old led the German side to their first Bundesliga title ever, winning the league unbeaten and lifting the DFB-Pokal.
Despite heavy links to Liverpool in 2024, Alonso instead chose to join Real Madrid in 2025 and was dismissed in January after losing the Supercopa final to Barcelona.
Bryan King backs Xabi Alonso to fix Chelsea
The early indications suggest that Chelsea have given Alonso far more power than his predecessors.
The former Liverpool midfielder is the Blues' seventh permanent manager since 2020, and decision-makers at Stamford Bridge hope to have finally found the right man.
Moves for the likes of Granit Xhaka, 33, and Pep Chavarria, 28, have indicated a change in approach and a clear desire to stock up in experience.
"He did that at Bayer Leverkusen when he took over there, and he brought in experienced players," King told Football Insider.
"And, of course, they won the championship, which led to him getting a Real Madrid job. He wasn't successful at Real Madrid but it's allowed him to get the Chelsea job.
"Well, how long he's going to be in charge of that job, we'll have to wait and see. It's a bit like prime ministers, isn't it?"
Chelsea cannot make Alonso mistake
In Alonso, Chelsea have undoubtedly attracted the right manager to oversee a project like the one at Stamford Bridge.
If he is to be successful, however, his demands must be met and his wishes, listened to. The 44-year-old's impact at Leverkusen is enough to tell the Blues that.
Luckily, the early signs are good. While Xhaka may not ultimately join this summer amid Sunderland's refusal to sell, he is the right kind of target to lead the young squad at Stamford Bridge.
Should that theme continue, Chelsea may well be looking at their most hopeful future yet under the ownership of BlueCo.