Chelsea’s manager search saga continues at Stamford Bridge. The club looked likely of hiring former Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri to replace Antonio Conte. However, the Blues baulked at paying a £7 million release clause to land the coach. Sarri’s controversial behaviour has also led to Chelsea looking elsewhere. Now the manager search continues and two names are topping the list.
Chelsea narrow manager search
It appears the Blues are once again looking at former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique to takeover the reins at Stamford Bridge. The club is also considering former Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc as Conte’s replacement.
Conte is still the Blues’ manager and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is yet to pull the trigger on sacking the Italian. It is believed Abramovich is waiting to decide on a replacement before sacking Conte.
The Blues finished fifth in the Premier League just one season after Conte led the club to the title. The relationship between Conte and Abramovich has soured since the title win. Most recently, Abramovich has been upset with Conte’s spending on players who spent more time on the bench than on the pitch. Alvaro Morata, Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley were all bought for significant sums. Yet, all three spent a large chunk of the season on the bench.
Sarri has gone from Chelsea’s No. 1 target according to leading sportsbook to being out of the running. Blanc is now considered the favourite to land the job with Enrique right next to him.
There is still speculation that Chelsea could move for former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. However, the Frenchman has stated he wants to take some time off before continuing his coaching career. Fulham’s Slavisa Jokanovic has also emerged as a possible candidate following Fulham’s promotion to the Premier League.
