The Blues are on the lookout for a new head coach, but who will Todd Boehly pick for his first managerial appointment?
Todd Boehly does not mess around! Seven games into the new season, and Thomas Tuchel has been relieved of his duties as Chelsea manager, with the man who delivered the club its second European Cup sacked less than 18 months later.
Defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League opener on Tuesday proved to be the final straw for new Blues owner Boehly, who now has the job of making his first managerial appointment at Stamford Bridge.
But who should he be looking to recruit? An out-of-work big name, or can he tempt a coach who is already in a job to move to west London?
GOAL breaks down the top candidates for one of the biggest managerial jobs in world football…
Getty ImagesMauricio Pochettino
Pochettino was linked with the Chelsea job around the time that Frank Lampard was starting to come under pressure in late-2020, only for Paris Saint-Germain to swoop in and hire the Argentine to replace Thomas Tuchel before the Blues could act.
Now history might be about to repeat itself in England, with Pochettino still very highly-rated within Premier League circles after the job he did at Tottenham.
He would arrive with some silverware under his belt, even if winning Ligue 1 with PSG is a bit more straightforward than earning trophies with Chelsea, and a track record of uniting a dressing room, which given the number of new faces at Stamford Bridge needs doing quickly.
Pochettino's tactics were criticised during his time in Paris, leading to his eventual sacking in July, but his reputation remains strong and it is no shock to see him among the favourites to step in at Stamford Bridge.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesGraham Potter
The outstanding candidate from within the Premier League, Potter's stature has grown steadily during his three years in charge of Brighton.
Now, with his side having enjoyed an electric start to the new campaign, the Seagulls' boss is widely being recognised as a 'Big-Six' manager in the making given the way he has matched tactical thinking with garnering respect from his players.
Stepping up to take on the Chelsea role would be the biggest test of his career to date, not least because he has never been part of a truly elite environment as either a player or coach, but Potter's achievements with Brighton should at least give him a standing within the dressing room to get his ideas across.
Chelsea and Brighton have done business already this season following Marc Cucurella's big-money move to the former, and they now could be set for more negotiations in the coming days.
Getty ImagesZinedine Zidane
Zidane has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, and has been linked with pretty much every vacant managerial position ever since.
It is easy to see why a three-time Champions League-winning coach would appeal to Todd Boehly, and being the man to lure Zidane back to coaching would certainly put an early feather in the American's cap.
Zidane has been criticised for not being the most gifted manager when it comes to tactical ideas, though that might be just what Chelsea's players need after the intense and constant tinkering of Tuchel.
There is a feeling that Zidane is happy to wait and see whether France require a new manager following the 2022 World Cup before deciding on his next move, but Chelsea have the finances to make him an offer he might not be able to refuse.
GetyMarcelo Bielsa
While it would be slightly out of left-field, there is no doubt that Bielsa left his mark on the English game during his Leeds United tenure, impressing fans and owners around England with the job he did at Elland Road.
Whether he would be able to replicate the job he did at Leeds at a club that is already part of Europe's elite remains to be seen, however, and it would be a risk were Chelsea to appoint him.
Bielsa demands buy-in from and control of all aspects of a club, but what he creates in return are teams that are exciting to watch and that produce results on the pitch.
Whether, at 67, he would be happy to return to England and take on such a high-profile project as Chelsea remains to be seen, but Boehly and his board will surely weigh up the pros and cons of making Bielsa a Blue during their hiring process.
