Xavi Hernandez is under consideration by Chelsea to be their next manager, as they lean towards a coaching ideology already set down by the four years of the ownership so far.
The London club are undergoing what is described as a “period of self-reflection” after the debacle of the Liam Rosenior appointment and a generally disappointing season outside the FA Cup, but have naturally had to consider what next as they want everything fully in place for pre-season.
The feeling is that the club have made significant progress in instilling a football identity that is now visible in the academy right down through the age groups, and that one of the values of Enzo Maresca was that his teams typified this approach.
Chelsea consequently want to persevere with a coach of similar principles, which is how Xavi has come into a conversation that also includes Xabi Alonso, Porto's Franceso Farioli and Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas, however, is not expected to leave Como this summer.
Andoni Iraola is also greatly admired by the football hierarchy but he is seen as of a separate school to the other contenders. Chelsea would have to weigh up whether to commit to a deviation of approach for the first time were they to push for the Basque, although they do have considerable competition for his signature.
Hence, Xavi has become a name more prominently mentioned. He has been out of work since leaving Barcelona in 2024, a three-year period that brought one league title.
While the manner in which that spell ended has brought more debate about his potential and career, there is a belief that Xavi himself has sought to learn from the period, and that part of the issues were because of his emotional attachment to his boyhood club.
The Catalan now wants a “project” that would allow more space than Spanish football usually allows.