According to The Independent, Chelsea are considering making a surprise approach to Antonio Conte as they look for their next long-term manager. After firing Graham Potter on Sunday after a disastrous 31-game run in charge, Sportsmail reported earlier this week that Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have vowed to conduct an “exhaustive” search as they sought to appoint the third permanent manager of their brief ownership since purchasing the club.
Meanwhile, club legend and former manager Frank Lampard will serve as interim manager until the end of the current campaign. However, the club has already started speaking with potential contenders for the permanent position after speaking with Luis Enrique on Wednesday.
Chelsea make ‘direct contact’ with Conte
With Antonio Conte out of a job after being fired by Tottenham, and Chelsea looking for a new manager, the Blues have made ‘direct contact’ with him as they ponder a surprise reappointment. The Italian managed at Stamford Bridge for two years before being fired in 2018, yet he remains the last manager to steer the Blues to a Premier League title.
After firing Graham Potter last week, the Chelsea hierarchy is keen to go through a comprehensive process while looking for their next manager. The club had a disappointing season by their standards, which was made worse by the significant financial commitment made to the playing group. They are determined to make the correct choice with their next hire.
While Lampard is expected to stay on until the conclusion of the season, a number of high-profile candidates, including Conte, are being evaluated in the meantime. In advance of a potential meeting next week, The Independent says that contact has been made with the Italian through a number of sources. Conte did leave Chelsea under a cloud in the past, bringing them to court for compensation, but considering that they are now under new ownership, that would not matter anymore.
Conte was recently fired by Tottenham after launching a profane tirade that targeted the team’s management and players. Although the former Inter Milan manager is not one to back down from a confrontation, his inability to deliver a title in north London ultimately cost him.
Chelsea are currently conducting interviews with a number of significant contenders as they try to move past the long-term project that brought them to Potter back in September. His inexperience in a big club was frequently used against him, and he appeared to be out of his element.
Former Barcelona and Spain manager Luis Enrique who has also won the Champions League, visited London for negotiations and made an impression on folks in west London, particularly with his plans for the squad. Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino are also very much on the shortlist. Pochettino has been jobless since leaving PSG, but his best work was done at Tottenham, where he helped the team win the European Cup final and finish second in the league.
Although he recently lost his job at Bayern Munich, Nagelsmann’s reputation is still solid, despite any potential concerns regarding his advanced age. The next Chelsea manager might have to do without any European competition at all, with Conte having experienced a similar situation in 2017. They will also need to come up with a winning strategy for the current team, which has been lavishly put together but was constructed across several different tenures to fit various mindsets.