Bayern Munich could potentially spoil any plans Chelsea have to hire one manager this summer.
With Chelsea really struggling under Mauricio Pochettino, the club may be forced into a change at the end of the season.
The Blues are 11th in the table and are already being linked with several managers.
The above includes Barcelona’s Xavi, while Ruben Amorim’s name refuses to go away.
There has been talk about Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi potentially coming in as well, with The Guardian claiming earlier this month that Chelsea have identified him as a potential replacement for Pochettino.
Which manager could Chelsea and Bayern Munich end up going toe-to-toe for?
With Thomas Tuchel leaving the Allianz Arena at the end of the season, Bayern will definitely need to hire a new manager.
As for Chelsea, if Pochettino cannot get them to climb the table, then he is going to be in serious trouble come May.
If the Blues want to hire De Zerbi as a replacement for the Argentine, though, they may have to beat off competition from Bayern.
Journalist Florian Plettenberg has shared on X that De Zerbi is a “top candidate” for the German club if they cannot get Xabi Alonso out of Bayer Leverkusen.
Can Chelsea convince Roberto De Zerbi to join them over Bayern Munich?
It is not impossible. De Zerbi is already coaching in the best league in the world and he may want to stay there, which would give Chelsea an advantage over Bayern.
However, not having a manager now, while Pochettino is in the Stamford Bridge dugout, Bayern can start making advances for the 44-year-old today.
By the time Chelsea are ready to make a move for De Zerbi, the Bundesliga champions could have already wrapped things up.
In an ideal world, though, the Chelsea board will want to hold on to Pochettino after handing him a two-year contract, but things on the pitch obviously need to get better.