Chelsea are now hoping to speak with one manager that they’ve identified as one of the leading candidates to replace Mauricio Pochettino.
It’s still very fresh news since Chelsea confirmed on Tuesday that Mauricio Pochettino has left the club by mutual consent.
The former Blues head coach finished sixth in the Premier League this season during his one year at Stamford Bridge, but it’ll be up to his successor to pick up the reigns of this young squad next campaign.
Sky Sports has now claimed that Behdad Eghbali, the Chelsea co-owner, is over in London to oversee the process of picking the club’s next head coach.
It is believed he’ll look over a process led by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.
Chelsea want to speak with 44-year-old manager
Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca, 44, is the individual that Chelsea reportedly want to have a conversation with.
Sky Sports says that Chelsea want to speak with Maresca, who’s one of the leading candidates to replace Pochettino.
It is explained that Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness are the other frontrunners considered by the Blues.
Apparently, Chelsea want their next manager to play possession-based football, as well as be ready to compete with the Premier League’s top coaches from day one.
For Maresca, it would be his first taste of of being a first-team manager in the top division.
FBREF data records Leicester finished this season with a huge average possession of 61.6%, which is the second highest in the league behind Southampton (65.5). Maresca definitely ticks a box for Chelsea in terms of being persistent with possession-based football.
What makes Enzo Maresca ‘exceptional’
In his first role as a senior manager in England, Maresca helped guide Leicester City back to the Premier League by winning the Championship title and gaining promotion this season.
Leicester midfielder Harry Winks, who’s been a key figure in the Foxes team, previously waxed lyrical about his manager and explained what makes him “exceptional”.
Winks said via talkSPORT back in February: ““He’s incredible in every way. He’s a manager who I think will certainly go to the very top. His understanding of football is something I’ve never witnessed before.
“I think his approachability and man-management is exceptional. I’ve really enjoyed working for him so much already and I’m still learning so much every day.”