The news came just hours after the Blues lost the FA Cup final 1-0 to Manchester City.

Chelsea has been seeking a new head coach since Liam Rosenior was sacked in April after three months in charge.

Spaniard Alonso won a league and cup double with Leverkusen in his first season as a coach in 2023-2024 but was sacked by Real Madrid after less than eight months in January.

The 44-year-old would be the fifth permanent appointment of Chelsea's BlueCo ownership after Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Enzo Maresca and Rosenior. Calum McFarlane has been in interim charge since Rosenior's departure and oversaw the cup final defeat.

Chelsea has slipped to ninth place in the Premier League and is now struggling to qualify for European competition, with the FA Cup defeat not helping in that quest.

Alonso was a player in the Premier League with Liverpool, where he spent five seasons and won the UEFA Champions League in 2007 with the Reds.

Chelsea is believed to have made Alonso its chief target, while also showing interest in Andoni Iraola, who will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season.