Luis Enrique lined up to replace Potter as Chelsea manager

Jacque Talbot

• 7 Feb 2023 13:45 GMT
• 2 min read

Chelsea see Luis Enrique as a potential successor to Graham Potter.

Spanish outlet Fichajes say that the former Barcelona manager is liked by the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Current boss Graham Potter only arrived from Brighton in September following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, but results have not picked up despite the recent huge cash injection.

Potter went nine games unbeaten in charge of Chelsea but the side have just won two of their last 11 games, with them ninth Premier League table and 10 points adrift of the Champions League places.

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Chelsea brought in Enzo Fernandez, Joao Felix, Noni Madueke, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana over the January window, and it’s thought that Potter will be given time to bed those players in. His contract at west London is until 2027 but there surely is a need now for the English coach to start getting Chelsea firing on cylinders.

If the Blues did want to bring in Enrique, they may face competition from Atletico Madrid, who have also identified the Spaniard as an ideal new head coach.

The Rojiblancos may be in their final season with Diego Simeone and Enrique is thought to be ready to take up a new club opportunity in Europe.

Enrique's CV

The 52-year-old left his position as Spain's head coach after a poor 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar. He could only get his home nation to the round of 16, where they were defeated by Morocco on penalties.

But Enrique has enjoyed spells at Roma, Celta Vigo and Barcelona prior to this.

He managed to win the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey treble in the first season of Barcelona season and was consequently named the World's Best Club Coach.

The Spaniard won another La Liga title and two more Copa del Reys, a Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Supercopa de Espana before leaving his post in 2017.