Xabi Alonso admits there is a big need in Chelsea talks as a deal has been agreed

Chelsea have agreed a deal with former Liverpool manager Xabi Alonso, with the Spaniard set to fill the Stamford Bridge hot seat.

Chelsea are advancing talks with Xabi Alonso after positive developments

The wait is almost over.

Chelsea are closing in on appointing Alonso as their new coach, according to reliable media sources.

It's time for the appointment that the team managers have been working on for weeks, now it seems to be a matter of when.

Alonso has been Chelsea's first-choice player throughout the process, hoping to join soon.

Chelsea can now announce the arrival of the tactician before they play their final Premier League games next weekend and possibly within the next 24 hours.

The 44-year-old has been out of action since leaving Real Madrid in January after six months at the Bernabeu, but his reputation in European football remains formidable, built on the back of a two-and-a-half-year spell at Bayer Leverkusen where he led the club to the 2023-2023 Bundesliga title.

Chelsea's leading sports team – Laurence Stewart, Paul Winstanley, Joe Shields, Sam Jewell and Dave Fallows – are understood to be firmly behind him as a top pick.

What makes the latest TEAMtalk report so important, however, is what it reveals about the nature of the negotiations – and what Alonso has agreed to do to join the club.

Xabi Alonso admits there is a big need in Chelsea talks as a deal has been agreed

In recent weeks there have been suggestions that the former midfielder wanted significant control over Chelsea's recruitment and football operations as a condition of taking the job.

It has become a popular topic given the club's well-documented history and management under BlueCo's ownership, with previous coaches reportedly fed up with the way transfer decisions have been made above their heads.

However, TEAMtalk and reporter Graeme Bailey paint a different picture.

According to their information, Alonso now does not want to have full control over recruitment or football operations at Chelsea.

Instead, the Spaniard is said to admit that Chelsea already have a star-studded squad that needs a few key additions to become genuine title contenders.

This is a remarkable situation, and suggests that Alonso is willing to work within the existing structure rather than trying to renovate it.

That said, Chelsea are reportedly willing to adjust aspects of their operating model to ensure they feel fully supported.

Liverpool had long been considered a possible destination for Alonso.

He spent five years at Anfield as a player and is still respected on Merseyside, and with question marks hanging over Arne Slot's future, speculation about a return has been persistent.

But Chelsea moved quickly and decisively, and now it seems that speed has paid off.

If the deal goes through as expected, it will end an era of significant instability in the Chelsea dugout. Five full-time managers have taken over since BlueCo took over, and the ongoing cycle of hiring and firing has become one of the most critical of ownership.

Bringing in a coach of Alonso's caliber – and doing so with what appears to be a genuine partnership rather than confrontation – would represent a logical change in approach.