Chelsea in search of a new permanent manager has taken another twist with the Blues hierarchy going cold on Luis Enrique and making first contact with Mauricio Pochettino.
According to insiders, Chelsea are reportedly set to continue talks with former Paris Saint Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino having cut off former Spanish national team manager Luis Enrique from their list.
The West London club axed Graham Potter at the start of the month and has begun directing a thorough inquiry for a new head coach.
Both former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique and recently fired Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann have emerged as frontrunners, with the Spaniard rumored to have fared well in the interview process.
According to reports, Luis Enrique is no longer considered one of the leading contenders as Chelsea’s hierarchy whistles down their shortlist.
The 52-year-old has not been in contact with the club since he flew to London two weeks ago to meet with co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, who are in charge of the managerial search.
Chelsea may have cooled on Luis Enrique, but they’ve finally reached out to the former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The club considered hiring the Argentine after they fired Thomas Tuchel last summer, but ultimately went with a different candidate, as they appointed Graham Potter.
Even though both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a bid for their former head coach Mauricio Pochettino, additional discussions are only expected to take place between Chelsea and Pochettino in the coming days.
Pochettino has not been bombarded with offers since losing his position at PSG, and Tottenham seems unexpectedly hesitant to be reunited, so it remains to be seen if he would be willing to join his former London rivals.
Spurs, who have also shown interest in Enrique over the past few weeks, now have an open door to make contact with him.
Tottenham’s leadership has not sought out Pochettino, and he does not appear to be in the frame to take over in north London, despite Spurs fans screaming his name repeatedly since Antonio Conte was fired.
Spurs fans, including Fabio Paratici (who is not currently involved with club matters), have expressed their approval of Luis Enrique’s hiring, and the club may now be free to make the hire.
Nagelsmann, meanwhile, will continue to be a major contender to take over at Stamford Bridge, and negotiations with the German coach will continue.
There have been several other candidates mentioned for the position, including former River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo and Sporting’s highly-rated young coach Ruben Amorim, but all of these candidates are said to be low on Chelsea’s list at present.
What’s your take on this? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below:
