Chelsea managerial vacancy: Luis Enrique new favourite to replace Potter
Published:
Julian Nagelsmann 6/4 in next Chelsea manager odds
Luis Enrique is the new favourite to replace Graham Potter as Chelsea manager after reportedly flying to London for talks with the club.
The former Barcelona boss has been out of work since leaving his role as Spain coach at the end of their dismal 2022 World Cup campaign.
You can read about what went wrong for Potter and a timeline of the 13 Premier League managerial exits this season by clicking on the links.
But for now, we’re looking at some of the contenders to replace Potter, whose last match in charge was the 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa.
Luis Enrique
The former Real Madrid and Barcelona midfielder is said to be in London with his representative to hold talks about becoming the manager at Stamford Bridge.
Luis Enrique won the Champions League and La Liga as Barcelona head coach in the same 2014-15 season, and went on to capture the league title in the following year only to leave the club at the end of his contract in 2017.
Luis Enrique has arrived in London with representative in order to discuss with Chelsea — can confirm he’s in England right now, as @JijantesFC called 🚨🔵🛩️ #CFC
Luis Enrique, 100% keen on Chelsea job.
ℹ️ Chelsea will also continue talks with Nagelsmann, favourite candidate. pic.twitter.com/BXXMbDILoZ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 5, 2023
A year later he was appointed coach of Spain’s national team, leading his country to the Euro 2020 semi-finals where they were unlucky to lose to Italy and a few months later they finished runners-up in the Nations League.
However, Spain’s sterile passing game proved too easy to defend at the 2022 World Cup where they lost to Morocco in the last 16 without scoring a single penalty during the shoot-out and Luis Enrique stepped down two days later.
Julian Nagelsmann
Tottenham target Julian Nagelsmann was the favourite to replace Potter, but has now been trumped by Enrique.
The former Bayern Munich boss led his side to the Bundesliga title in his first season after joining in the summer of 2021, also winning the German Super Cup in 2021 and 2022 before he was sacked and replaced by former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel late last month.
At just 35, the German is several years younger than some members of the Blues squad he would inherit, but the hotly-touted managerial talent’s age does not seem to be an issue for either Premier League side rumoured to be vying for his services.
Bruno Saltor
Bruno Saltor remains 5/1 after overseeing his first match as interim manager on Tuesday, a goalless draw with Liverpool.
The Spaniard was unexpectedly thrust into the manager’s seat after Potter’s departure, having joined Chelsea alongside him from Brighton in September.
"We have to keep helping the players." 🔷
"Kante is outstanding." 🔷Bruno Saltor's verdict after his first game in charge of Chelsea 👔 pic.twitter.com/ukQhzty4DU
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 4, 2023
He admitted before the game that he had little experience of management and had never selected a starting XI before.
“It was difficult to enjoy,” he added. “Really difficult. Sad, disappointment. But I’ve just been trying to focus on being the best version of myself, trying to help the boys, be supportive, and just focusing in hour after hour, day by day.”
Mauricio Pochettino
The Argentinian has been out of work since leaving Paris St Germain, where he won last season’s Ligue 1 title, and his availability coupled with a record of success in the Premier League naturally places him near the top of the contenders list.
If Potter ultimately proved unable to rise to the massive challenge of marshalling some of the world’s biggest stars, the appointment of Pochettino – who has counted Lionel Messi amongst his charges – would carry no such risk.
John Terry
Terry won every major honour during his 19 years at Stamford Bridge, winning the Premier League and FA Cup five times each, the Champions League in 2012, Europa League in the following year and the League Cup on three occasions.
The former England captain spent three seasons as assistant at Aston Villa where he ended his playing career, but he has never managed a club which could count against him when it comes to picking Potter’s successor.
Zinedine Zidane
The former Real Madrid boss spoke as recently as last September about how his lack of fluency in English made him apprehensive about taking a Premier League job, but with his outstanding record both domestically and in Europe with Real, Chelsea will likely dig deep to come up with something mouth-watering if they believe he could be tempted.
The 50-year-old has spent nearly two years out of the game since his second spell at the LaLiga giants, a long time for a manager of his pedigree and hun
Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers parted ways with Leicester following Saturday’s disappointing defeat at Crystal Palace but his history at Chelsea could make him an outside shot for the job.
While the Foxes are now fighting relegation, the Northern Irish manager previously masterminded Leicester to two credible Champions League challenges, not to mention taking Liverpool to within a whisker of the title in 2013-14, meaning he qualifies as a coach of calibre. He spent four years heading up Chelsea’s youth set-up before moving into management, and knows how to get the best out of senior players.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
