Chelsea consider Xavi for head coach role

Chelsea are considering former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez for their vacant head coach position this summer, according to reports, as the club accelerates its search following the sacking of Liam Rosenior last month.

Rosenior lasted just 107 days in charge before his dismissal amid a dismal run of six straight Premier League defeats without scoring, including a 3-1 home loss to Nottingham Forest on Monday. The result left Chelsea ninth in the table, seven points adrift of Champions League qualification spots and facing a first season without European football in over a decade. Under-21 coach Calum McFarlane has taken interim charge, steering the side to a 1-0 win over Leeds United to secure a place in the FA Cup final, but he admitted disappointment after the Forest defeat. "The first 15 minutes was unacceptable," McFarlane told reporters. "You can't do that at this level."

Chelsea's hierarchy is conducting a thorough recruitment process, prioritizing candidates aligned with the club's possession-based footballing philosophy established under owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. Xavi, 46, has emerged as a serious contender after the club made an initial approach,...