Shock revelation in Chelsea manager race as mystery candidate emerges

Robin Bairner

• 22 Apr 2023 09:31 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea’s search for a new manager continues, with the Stamford Bridge board working to find a replacement for the sacked Graham Potter.

Frank Lampard has been installed as an interim boss at the Blues until the summer in order to give the club time to find the correct solution to their problem, with many names having come into the picture since Potter was jettisoned.

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Julian Nagelsmann was considered to be a leading candidate for the Chelsea job but according to The Athletic he was never their top choice. Now he appears to have dropped out of the running entirely, with a three-man shortlist of applicants in place for the job.

It is claimed that Nagelsmann felt that Chelsea were not the right fit for him after speaking to the club on one occasion, while there are also claims that it was the Blues who were the ones to step away from discussions.

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Who will be Chelsea’s next manager?

Mauricio Pochettino is leading the way to become the new Chelsea manager, in what would be considered a shock decision given the lack of title-winning calibre that the Argentine has shown in stints with Tottenham and PSG.

He does, however, have Premier League experience, which is why the Athletic believe that he is now at the top of Todd Boehly’s list to sit in the Stamford Bridge dugout next season.

Chelsea also like the fact that he has established numerous young players at the top level, most notably Harry Kane.

It is stated that “Chelsea actually ranked Pochettino above Nagelsmann from the get-go”.

Beyond Pochettino, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany is appreciated for the manner in which he has led the Clarets back into the Premier League. The Blues are said to see parallels with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta in the Belgian, with both having worked under Pep Guardiola.

The third candidate’s identity is unknown. They are simply described as “one highly-rated candidate whose identity Chelsea have managed to keep secret”.