Chelsea in Talks for Set-Piece Specialist Austin MacPhee

Chelsea are in talks to prise renowned set-piece specialist Austin MacPhee from Aston Villa, as the London club move to sharpen the fine details of Xabi Alonso’s new era at Stamford Bridge.

They are not alone in the chase. Rival Premier League sides and clubs from the Saudi Pro League have joined the hunt, turning the pursuit of a coach – not a striker, not a playmaker – into one of the more intriguing battles of the summer.

Chelsea target the margins

Alonso has space to fill on his backroom staff. Bernardo Cueva, recruited from Brentford in 2024 for around £750,000, is stepping away from his touchline duties and into a more background role. That leaves a clear opening for a specialist whose work is measured in routines, rehearsed movements and, ultimately, goals.

MacPhee fits that brief as well as anyone in Europe.

The 46-year-old Scot has built a formidable reputation at Villa Park. Under Unai Emery, Villa became a set-piece machine. In the 2023-24 campaign, they scored more goals from dead-ball situations than any other side across Europe’s top five leagues, a staggering return for a team that had only recently been fighting to re-establish itself near the top of the Premier League.

The trend didn’t fade. The following season, Villa again ranked among the elite for set-piece output and finished joint-top with Arsenal for such goals in the Premier League. Corners, free-kicks, rehearsed second phases – Villa squeezed every drop out of them.

Those details helped fuel a remarkable rise: a Europa Conference League title and a place in the Champions League, achievements that have reshaped the club’s modern identity. MacPhee has been a constant presence in that journey.

Villa braced for change

If Chelsea or another suitor meet the terms of his deal, Villa will be due compensation. MacPhee’s contract is understood to contain a release clause, giving interested clubs a clear route to secure his services.

His departure would be one of several staff exits at Villa Park this summer, underlining how success often invites disruption. Emery’s side have climbed into Europe’s top tier, but that ascent has put their behind-the-scenes talent firmly in the spotlight.

MacPhee has not limited his influence to club football. For the past five years, he has combined his Villa duties with a role on the international stage, working as a set-piece coach with the Portugal national team. He operated under Roberto Martinez until the coach’s resignation after the World Cup, adding another layer of high-level experience to his profile.

A battle for the dead-ball expert

Chelsea’s interest reflects a clear strategic shift. Under Alonso, the club are not just looking for marquee signings on the pitch; they are targeting specialists who can tilt tight games and close gaps at the top of the table. Set-pieces, often dismissed as detail, have become a battleground.

The competition from within the Premier League and from Saudi Arabia underlines MacPhee’s standing. Clubs with very different budgets and ambitions have all identified the same thing: in an era of fine margins, the coach who designs your corner routines can be almost as valuable as the player who heads them in.

Whether Chelsea can win that race will say plenty about how serious they are about mastering those margins under Alonso – and how far Villa’s recent success has pushed their backroom staff onto the global stage.