According to the Daily Mail, Julian Nagelsmann was unhappy with Chelsea holding talks with other candidates for their vacant managerial post, which prompted the German to withdraw from the application process. Nagelsmann has been looking for a new position since being fired by Bayern Munich last month. He was replaced by former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, and the club subsequently exited both the German Cup and the Champions League since then.
Following Graham Potter’s sacking earlier this month, Julian Nagelsmann was one of the frontrunners to take over at Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard was named interim manager until the summer, but Nagelsmann appeared to be the the Blues’ preferred choice to become the club’s next permanent manager. However, the reason the 35-year-old pulled out of contention has been now revealed.
Julian Nagelsmann’s insecurities highlighted as reason behind withdrawing from Chelsea race
As the Daily Mail claim, Julian Nagelsmann was dissatisfied over Chelsea’s discussions with other managers and believed that the job was his. He became concerned after hearing that the club was also in talks with Mauricio Pochettino, who is currently leading the race, and Burnley manager Vincent Kompany.
According to German media outlet Sport1, Julian Nagelsmann was turned down for the Chelsea job because he wanted a ‘project on solid ground’ which he did not believe would be the case at the Stamford Bridge. Sky Sport Germany said that the former Bayern Munich coach made up his mind on Thursday, when he informed the west London club of his decision to withdraw from the process.
Nagelsmann was widely regarded as the best prospect for the job, alongside former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine is now regarded as the leading candidate to take over at Stamford Bridge this summer. When asked about his decision, Nagelsmann bluntly told Sky Sport Germany: “To cancel something, you have to commit to something.”
The former Bayern Munich manager is now backed to hold talks with Tottenham, who are fishing in the same pond as Chelsea. Since axing Antonio Conte last month, Spurs have been on the lookout for a new manager. And after Julian Nagelsmann was available, Spurs were thought to move quickly for the German before he chose to first interview at Stamford Bridge.
Now that he has given up on his chance to become the fifth Chelsea manager in past eight months, Julian Nagelsmann could well be on his way to north London to hold talks with Spurs. Meanwhile, Pochettino is unquestionably the current contender to become the next Chelsea manager. The Argentine pleased the Blues hierarchy after his initial round of negotiations and might be in line to succeed Potter.
Unsurprisingly, he has been tipped to take over at Tottenham as well. Chelsea’s shortlist also includes Burnley manager Vincent Kompany, who led the team to promotion to the Premier League this season. However, The Guardian reports that Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is also on the club’s radar. The Australian manager appears likely to lead the Glasgow giants to their second consecutive title since taking over the club, with Blues executives praising his style of play and eye for quality.