Chelsea ‘highly appreciate’ Liverpool-linked Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso with pressure growing on Mauricio Pochettino, according to reports.
The Blues dropped to 11th in the Premier League table after being thumped 4-2 by Wolves at Stamford Bridge.
The home fans began to turn on Pochettino for the first time this season and many believe the time has come to sack the former Tottenham boss.
There is a big question mark over who would come in and replace Pochettino, with some calls for Jose Mourinho to return to Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho is the second-favourite to replace Pochettino should he be relieved of his duties.
The current favourite is Michel Sanchez, who has Girona flying in La Liga this season, losing only twice in 28 matches across all competitions.
However, Chelsea are believed to be looking at Alonso, who is doing an even more impressive job with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.
The 42-year-old’s side have not lost a single match in 2023/24 and are top of the Bundesliga, ahead of Bayern Munich.
Alonso is the favourite to replace Jurgen Klopp when he leaves Liverpool at the end of the season, but Chelsea could swoop in before the German’s exit.
According to Sports Zone (via CaughtOffside), the Leverkusen head coach is ‘highly appreciated’ by Blues co-owner Behdad Eghbali.
The report states that fellow co-owner Todd Boehly is ‘tempering’ with results under Pochettino not going the way he had hoped.
Understandably, Alonso ‘is very popular’ across Europe amidst interest from Liverpool, as well as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Los Blancos are probably out of the running for the Spaniard after agreeing a new contract with Carlo Ancelotti.
Alonso played for all three clubs so the idea of managing any of them will surely appeal to him, even if Leverkusen are absolutely flying this term and now a shoo-in to qualify for the Champions League at the very least.
A Europa League title is also a big possibility for the German side, though they will likely have to go through Liverpool if they want to win the competition, funnily enough.
The idea of joining Bayern, Madrid or Liverpool will obviously be a lot more appealing than joining Chelsea, even if they would be willing to put a monstrous salary on the table.
Currently in the bottom half of the Premier League, the Blues squad is full of young players who are struggling to gel, although it looks like Pochettino is massively struggling to get a tune out of his players.
There is no real style of play on show at Stamford Bridge and you have to feel that Chelsea’s Carabao Cup final against Liverpool will be pivotal for the Argentine’s future in west London.
Klopp, meanwhile, will be hoping to win four trophies in his final season at Anfield and the proposition of a Liverpool-Leverkusen Europa League final is very tasty.
The Reds’ Premier League title bid took a bump on Sunday after they were beaten 3-1 by Arsenal.
They remain top of the table, but if Manchester City win their two games in hand, starting at Brentford on Monday evening, they will become the pacesetters.
MAILBOX: ‘Bumbling apologist’ and ‘ultimate fraud’ Pochettino to be sacked?
