With Graham Potter out at Chelsea after just over six months in charge, and Frank Lampard in charge on a caretaker basis, who should be the next permanent boss at Stamford Bridge?
The latest buzz is that former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is in the catbird seat.
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This is a massive decision for Todd Boehly and the Chelsea hierarchy, as the Blues’ new American owners went all-in on Potter. It has backfired spectacularly as they are currently in the bottom half of the Premier League table despite spending eye-watering sums of money in the last two transfer windows.
Things were supposed to be different under the new ownership after the hire ‘em and fire ‘em reign of previous owner Roman Abramovich but Potter was in charge for just 31 games and Chelsea’s fans never really took to him.
Boehly and Co. have placed Lampard in interim charge but the Blues continue to lose, they are out of Europe and their talented players have a fight on their hands when it comes to both their short and long-term goals.
It seems like Chelsea will take their time to appoint a successor to Potter and below we rank the leading contenders.
Ranking the contenders to take charge at Chelsea
1. Mauricio Pochettino
A report from The Guardian says that Chelsea are ‘closing in on appointing Pochettino’ and it is clear he has plenty of admirers at Chelsea. The work he did at Tottenham was remarkable and he would bring clarity and a calm head to all of the madness at Stamford Bridge. The latest report goes on to state that Pochettino has ‘held a series of positive talks’ and ‘confirmation could come soon’ as he will become the permanent replacement for Graham Potter.
But will Poch’s connections to Spurs put him (and Chelsea) off of him becoming the main man at Stamford Bridge? Apparently not. His most recent stop at PSG wasn’t a disaster given the circus often surrounding Les Parisiens and Pochettino wants a return to London. A report from The Telegraph has stated that Chelsea want to hold a second round of talks with Pochettino so it appears he impressed in initial discussions. A report from David Ornstein now says Pochettino is the firm favorite to take charge at Chelsea, while The Independent also say talks over summer targets are more advance with Pochettino than any other candidate which suggests he is their top target. Right now, it seems like Pochettino is going to be the next Chelsea boss.
Talks are progressing very well between Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea board. Process ongoing — not done yet but it’s getting closer. 🚨🔵 #CFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 24, 2023
Pochettino has told his backroom staff to get ready — he’s clear favourite since Friday.
Chelsea will make final decision soon. pic.twitter.com/xFVxiixzYA
2. Julian Nagelsmann
The German coach was only just fired by Bayern Munich but his pedigree speaks for itself. Nagelsmann, 35, is one of the best young coaches in the game and he seems to have the aura needed to manage Chelsea. Per a report from The Times, Chelsea have met with Nagelsmann about their vacant position. It appears the young German coach is taking his time to assess his options as the likes of Real Madrid have also been linked with the former Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig, and Bayern coach. Although a a report from The Telegraph states that Nagelsmann impressed in initial talks and will be invited to speak with Chelsea again soon as they narrow their search, David Ornstein has now stated that Nagelsmann to Chelsea is off and the German coach is now interested in taking over at Tottenham.
3. Luis Enrique
He said just a few weeks ago he would love to coach in the Premier League but only at a team which can challenge for big things. Well, Luis, it seems like that opportunity has arrived. He left Spain after a disappointing World Cup exit in November but the former Barcelona manager plays an attractive style and is highly-regarded and respected. If Chelsea truly commit to giving him time to bed in a new philosophy, this seems like a perfect fit. Per a report from AS in Spain, Luis Enrique was keen to take charge of Chelsea ahead of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie against Real Madrid as he met with Todd Boehly and Co about the job. However, The Telegraph has now stated that Chelsea do not want to make Enrique their next manager and follow up talks are not expected with the Spanish coach.
4. Marco Silva
A surprise candidate, per the Daily Mirror, and this is a bit of a risk. Marco Silva has done a fine job just down the road at Fulham but is he too similar of a profile of coach as Potter? He has more experience at the top level and Silva is certainly someone who will demand respect from the players right away. It feels like Chelsea will go for a ‘bigger name’ manager than Silva though.
Other names to keep an eye on: Diego Simeone, Zinedine Zidane, Ruben Amorim, Thomas Frank
