Chelsea are in the process of searching for a new head coach, and it appears that Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino are among the top contenders for the job. Nagelsmann, the former manager of Bayern Munich, is seen as the likeliest candidate for the position, as he impressed during an initial meeting with the club’s sporting directors last week. He also has the support of Behdad Eghbali, one of Chelsea’s co-owners.
However, no final decision has been made, and Chelsea is still in talks with other potential candidates. Among them are Sporting’s Rúben Amorim and the former Spain and Barcelona manager Luis Enrique. Amorim is seen as an outsider, while there are doubts about Enrique after he made several demands during talks a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, Chelsea has also made contact with Pochettino, who has been out of work since leaving Paris Saint-Germain last summer. The Argentinian manager will also be a candidate for Real Madrid if Carlo Ancelotti leaves the European champions.
Chelsea’s next appointment is crucial, as their season is practically over after their Champions League defeat to Madrid, and they are likely to have no European football next season. The club has spent almost £600m since last summer, but they are also implementing some cost-cutting measures. Some players face the prospect of up to 30% wage cuts because of Chelsea missing out on the Champions League.
The ownership was also placed under further pressure by former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, who accused them of a lack of class before the second leg against Madrid. This was followed by Thiago Silva, who captained the side, criticizing the recruitment policy.
Chelsea is aware that their concerns over Financial Fair Play will not be helped by the lack of European football cutting their income. The club has almost every player up for sale, and the pressure is on to make the right appointment to steer the team in the right direction.
