Who will be the next Chelsea coach?

• Chelsea is looking for a head coach after the decision to fire Graham Potter.
• We look at potential replacements for Graham Potter.

After the decision to fire Graham Potter after just under seven months in office at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea is looking for a new head coach.

When Potter left Brighton for Chelsea in September, he became the most expensive managerial hire in history, although he failed to produce results for a while in West London.

We look at potential replacements for Graham Potter.

Julian Nagelsmann

Julian Nagelsmann. |PHOTO: Sky Sports|

Considering Julian Nagelsmann is now available after being fired from Bayern Munich last month, he has emerged as an early front-runner to succeed Potter.

Nagelsmann guided Bayern to the Bundesliga champions last season, solidifying his position as one of Europe’s greatest young coaches in recent campaigns. At the age of 28, he became Hoffenheim’s youngest-ever manager in the Bundesliga. He also enjoyed success with RB Leipzig, when he guided the team to the Champions League semifinals.

Nagelsmann prefers the Gegenpress style of play, which would bring pressure and high-energy play to Chelsea. His tactical adaptability would also work well for a team with an embarrassing amount of depth and choices. The 35-year-old is said to be eager to take some time off before making a decision on his future but would consider a proposal from Chelsea following his unexpected departure from Bayern Munich.

Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino. Photo/Eurosport

With no club since departing Paris Saint-Germain last summer, Mauricio Pochettino might be given a chance to return to the Premier League at Chelsea.

During his five-and-a-half-year tenure with Tottenham, Pochettino rose to become one of Europe’s most sought-after managers. During this time, the north London club achieved four straight top-four Premier League finishes and advanced to the 2019 Champions League final.

The 51-year-old still spends most of his time in London, and given Chelsea’s recent transfer activity, his track record of nurturing young talent may be advantageous. The West Londoners have spent almost £600 million on new players over the last two transfer windows and may be hesitant to approve additional sums as the team works to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

Luis Enrique

It is believed that Luis Enrique has admirers in the Chelsea club and has spoken about his desire to manage in the Premier League.

The former Barcelona manager has been considering his options in preparation for a comeback to the dugout ever since leaving his position as the Spanish national team’s coach following the World Cup in Qatar.

Enrique has a track record of major championship victories and leading a team of top-level athletes, with his best performance coming at Barcelona. During the 2014–15 season, he guided the Catalans to a La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League treble. Throughout the course of his three seasons in command at Camp Nou, he also won nine trophies.

Zinedine Zidane

Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane. PHOTO: Getty Images

After departing Real Madrid for a second time in 2021, Zinedine Zidane continues to be among the most prominent managerial names available.

Zidane is the second-most successful manager in Champions League history, but since he hasn’t taken on a challenge outside of Real Madrid, it’s unknown what his actual potential is.

He won two La Liga championships and three Champions League trophies during his two stints with the Spanish powerhouses. Los Blancos won three straight Champions League titles from 2016 to 2018 under his leadership, making him the first coach to do so in the Champions League era.

The 50-year-old has the character to handle Chelsea’s expectations, but he is not eager to return to coaching and will take his time selecting his next position. Zidane earlier denied any connection to Manchester United and claimed that a transfer to the Premier League may be challenging given his understanding of English.

Ruben Amorim

After making an impression with his performance at Sporting Lisbon, Ruben Amorim is still being linked to Premier League openings.

The 38-year-old also won two Taça da Liga championships at the Estádio José Alvalade while leading Sporting to its first Primeira Liga victory in Portugal since 2002 in 2020/21. After eliminating competition favourites Arsenal in the Europa League round of 16, Amorim has his sights set on European victory this season with Sporting’s front-footed style of play.

He has talked about the possibility of leaving to take on a new challenge, but he claims he is not in a hurry to do so and wants to make sure he leaves on good terms.