Chelsea have made an initial approach for Xavi, and he is open to the move. The catch is that multiple reports suggest Chelsea are still weighing other candidates, so the interest does not yet read like a settled decision.

Why Xavi is in the conversation

football.london says Xavi has already made clear that the Premier League appeals to him. In the same quote, he named Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United as the kind of big clubs he would choose if he had to move to England. That helps explain why his name keeps surfacing when Chelsea's search is discussed.

The broader picture still matters. Xavi returned to Barcelona in 2021 after Ronald Koeman’s exit, won La Liga and the Supercopa de Espana, and was succeeded by Hansi Flick in 2024. That gives him a recent elite-club background, even if the job in west London is not his to take yet.

Why Chelsea are not acting as if he is the only option

The latest reporting points in two directions at once. talkSPORT says Chelsea made an initial approach for Xavi and that he is open to the move, but not necessarily the club’s priority. Pete O’Rourke added that Andoni Iraola is not going to rush into anything and will have lots of options, which is a useful reminder that Chelsea are operating in a crowded market.

The form behind the search is hard to ignore. Chelsea have lost five successive league matches, including a 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest. Their Premier League record stands at 13 wins, 9 draws and 13 defeats from 35 games, leaving them ninth on 48 points.

That is the part that makes this chase feel urgent rather than purely exploratory. The next permanent appointment is being hunted in the middle of a run that has gone badly wrong, and Chelsea cannot really afford a long, leisurely shortlist process.

For now, Xavi looks live, but not locked in. Chelsea have checked on him, he is open to the idea, and the club still appear to be comparing him with other names before they decide who leads the next phase.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →