Chelsea next manager: Xabi Alonso, Marco Silva on Blues' summer shortlist?

Chelsea have reportedly finalised a shortlist of potential managerial appointments ahead of the summer.

The Blues are on the hunt for a permanent successor to former head coach Liam Rosenior, who was relieved of his duties just a few months into this Stamford Bridge stint - one which nosedived after promising victories early on.

It is said that the former Hull City boss lost the respect of the first-team squad, leaving Chelsea with the task of finding a new person to lead the club into the 2026-27 Premier League campaign.

Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth is known to be of interest to the West Londoners, however, they face competition in the race for his services, with FA Cup holders Crystal Palace also keen on the Spaniard.

Speaking of the FA Cup, the BlueCo-owned Blues are scheduled to pit their wits against title challengers Manchester City in the final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, when a place in the Europa League is up for grabs.

Chelsea complete managerial shortlist ahead of summer?

According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have dived into the process of identifying a suitable replacement for Rosenior, who failed to impose his tactical demands in a positive way at Stamford Bridge this campaign.

The report claims that the Blues have finalised a shortlist of five or six potential managerial arrivals in West London ahead of the new campaign, in which they will be hoping to compete for a top-five finish and Champions League qualification.

It is understood that the Club World Cup champions are looking to appoint a new manager before the start of the World Cup in the middle of June, giving him plenty of time to assess the squad ahead of their pre-season tour to Australia and Asia.

A number of high-profile names supposedly appear on the Blues' shortlist, including ex-Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso, departing Bournemouth boss Iraola and Fulham head coach Marco Silva.

Chelsea's pre-season duties commence on July 28, when the Premier League giants are set to face off against Western Sydney Wanderers of the A League in a friendly on the other side of the globe.

Focusing on the here and now

Whilst plenty of the Chelsea chatter right now is centred around bold plans for the summer and a managerial appointment, all hands need to be on deck for the final knockings of the current campaign.

Despite a sobering season by their high standards so far, the Blues still have the opportunity to claim major silverware this weekend, when they face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at Wembley.

A Chelsea team under the tutelage of interim head coach Calum McFarlane will seek to cause a severe upset in the capital, where the West Londoners beat Leeds United last month in the FA Cup semi-finals.