Graham Potter has been sacked as Chelsea manager after just three league wins in 2023, a tepid 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa proving the final straw.
Hopes were high for Potter, who was rewarded the opportunity to coach Chelsea due to his good work at Brighton, but failed to replicate those positive results at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s recent results, which included a six-game winless streak, would have almost certainly resulted in a near-instant sacking for any manager under the previous regime of Roman Abramovich.
Todd Boehly was determined to do things differently and gave Potter time in a bid to mirror Arsenal’s success with Mikel Arteta after his rocky start but that patience has finally run out.
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Here are five candidates Chelsea could turn to in that event:
Julian Nagelsmann
In what would be the ultimate edition of managerial merry-go-round, Julian Nagelsmann is favourite to fill the newly vacant position at Chelsea.
Replacing the man who replaced the man who replaced Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich would be quite something.
The German is still only 35 but is one of the most highly rated coaches in Europe and is reported to have already been approached by Chelsea’s hierarchy.
It may not have worked out for him at Bayern, but he still retains the tactical versatility that a squad as bloated as Chelsea’s craves.
And if given time and space he could very well take Chelsea to a level worthy of their players’ individual potential.
Mauricio Pochettino
The Argentine’s name popped up as a potential coach when Thomas Tuchel was relieved of his duties last year, and the same has happened here with Potter gone.
Pochettino has been out of work since a luckless spell in charge of Paris Saint Germain ended last summer, and Chelsea will surely consider him now.
They may face competition for his signature with Antonio Conte recently departing Spurs as the north Londoners considering the recapture of the manager who took them to a Champions League final.
Zinedine Zidane
There are few managers, if any, in the world that Chelsea could lure to Stamford Bridge that has a resume as impressive as Zidane’s.
The Frenchman has been elusive since finishing his second spell as coach of Real Madrid in 2021, apparently rebuking a number of offers from the likes of PSG and the United States national team, with his heart set on managing the French national side. But with Didier Deschamps recently confirmed to be staying on, Zidane may have to dip his toes back in the club game.
His approach, both as a manager and tactically, may not be the right fit for the project that Chelsea are about to embark on. But that might not matter. When you have a chance to sign a manager who won three Champions League titles in a row, it’s pretty hard to say no.
Luis Enrique
Another free agent, Luis Enrique stepped down as Spain manager after a round of 16 exit at the hands of Morocco at the 2022 World Cup. His Spain side previously impressed at Euro 2020, playing with a club-like cohesion. The Spaniard has also amassed an impressive collection of trophies during his time at Barcelona, winning the Champions League, two La Liga titles and three Copa del Rey.
It has been six years since his last job in club football, and not having managed in the Premier League before could count against him in the interview process.
Despite that, Enrique has a proven ability of managing big sides and is tactically astute enough to engineer a turnaround at Stamford Bridge.
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Jose Mourinho
In a surprising, yet equally unsurprising turn of events, oddsmakers have positioned twice-former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho as a potential replacement for Potter.
The Portuguese coach, whose CV features a stunning amount of trophies – including three Premier League titles with Chelsea – could very well be tempted back for a third stint in west London.
The Roma coach has been in Italy since 2021, having been the inaugural winners of the Europa Conference League in 2022.
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