Unmasking Chelsea's mystery managerial option

Stuart Telford

• 22 Apr 2023 18:11 BST
• 3 min read

With Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique out of the running, Chelsea's three-man shortlist to replace Frank Lampard is reportedly: Mauricio Pochettino, Vincent Kompany, and a mystery third man. Who might that be?

Chelsea are already on their third manager of the Todd Boehly era, with Frank Lampard returning on a caretaker basis following the dismissals of Thomas Tuchel and then Graham Potter.

The club are languishing in mid-table having spent more than €600 million on players across the last two transfer windows, and it is understood they plan to take their time with their next managerial appointment.

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Pochettino is of interest having steered London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to a Champions League final as recently as 2019, while Kompany has caught the eye after steering Burnley back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

But the Athletic report that alongside Pochettino and Kompany, there is a third man under consideration.

"Three people lead the way as things stand: Pochettino, Kompany and one highly-rated candidate whose identity Chelsea have managed to keep secret so far," writes Simon Jones, in collaboration with Raphael Honigstein and David Ornstein.

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"This contender, whose identity has yet to be revealed, has made a name for himself as being tactically astute in a perceived lesser league and is thought to be the least likely candidate on the shortlist to end up getting the job."

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 21, 2023

Who might the mystery man be?

Taking into account the parameters Chelsea reportedly want met - leadership, how the candidate would work within the current setup, tactical ability - alongside the 'lesser league' statement, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou appears to have joined Pochettino and Kompany on their shortlist.

The Australian is on course for his second consecutive Scottish Premiership title, and this season his side lead Glasgow rivals Rangers by 13 points at the top of the league with 33 games played.

Postecoglou interviews well, and is a tactically adept attacking coach who tries to model Celtic's game on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, despite the English champions' budget dwarfing their Scottish equivalents'.

The Guardian are now reporting Postecoglou as the third man, and FootballTransfers in inclined to believe them.