We're only halfway through the season but Chelsea are looking for a new manager, after parting company with Enzo Maresca on New Year's Day. On the one hand, the Italian's exit is a surprise, given he won both the Conference League and Club World Cup during his first season at Stamford Bridge. However, it had been clear for some time that Maresca wasn't entirely happy in west London, with the former Leicester City boss sensationally going public with a perceived lack of support within the club after last month's Champions League loss to Atalanta.
His team had also been booed off the pitch after Tuesday's 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth – which left the Blues fifth in the Premier League table, some 15 points behind leaders Arsenal after a run of just one win in seven games.
The question now, of course, is who will Chelsea hire to replace Maresca at the helm? Many coaches would doubtless jump at the chance to work for such a big club – and with one of the most exciting young squads in world football. However, others might well be put off by rumours that Maresca was unhappy with alleged interference in his team selections.
With all of that in mind, GOAL runs through all of the leading candidates below…
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8Oliver Glasner
Glasner is definitely going to end up at one of the Premier League's top teams sooner or later. The Austrian has taken English football by storm since succeeding Roy Hodgson as Crystal Palace manager in February 2024. After leading the Eagles to their best-ever points haul (49), he bettered that tally in his first full season at Selhurst Park (53), while at the same time ending the club's 120-year wait for a trophy by masterminding a stunning 1-0 win over the mighty Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup.
Glasner, though, is out of contract in the summer and the word is that he's determined to test himself at the very highest level. However, it's unlikely that he'd leave before then – and probably not for Chelsea either. Glasner's rage reportedly led to Palace pulling the plug on Marc Guehi's deadline-day move to Liverpool – so one can only imagine what he'd make of the nonsensical and constant comings and goings at Stamford Bridge!
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7Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas has all of the attributes Chelsea are looking for in a manager, in that he's a young (38), tactically progressive coach capable of working in the confines of a very specific project. The Spaniard has done an outstanding job since taking over as Como boss by leading the lake-side club back into Serie A and almost immediately established them as one of the best teams to watch in Italy. Fabregas is also a former Chelsea player, having helped the Blues win two titles during his five years – meaning he'd be a very popular appointment with the fans.
However, whereas the World Cup winner has a big say in how things work at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia – Fabregas is also a shareholder at Como – he would not be afforded the same level of influence at Stamford Bridge. It's also very hard to see him leaving Como midway through the season, given they're on track to qualify for European competition for the first time ever. So, while Fabregas feels destined to return to the Premier League at some point, it's unlikely to happen this month. He turned down Inter last summer; he'd likely reject any approach from Chelsea too.
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6Frank Lampard
A third tenure at Stamford Bridge for Lampard doesn't appear to make much sense – but when has a lack of logic ever been a factor in Chelsea's thinking? The previous regime hired the legendary midfielder after he'd led Derby County to the Championship play-off final in 2019, while Todd Boehly & Co. inexplicably brought him back to the Bridge in a caretaker capacity in 2023. Given Lampard is presently rebuilding his reputation at Coventry, we simply cannot rule the 47-year-old returning to Chelsea. Stranger things have happened.
However, the timing feels off here, as Lampard is poised to get Coventry back into the Premier League for the first time since 2001, with the Sky Blues currently eight points clear at the top of the Championship. Furthermore, while the fans still love Lampard, a significant chunk of the support would undoubtedly be underwhelmed by him being given a third crack of the whip, as he'd still not be considered a contender for any other top job in the Premier League.
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5Roberto De Zerbi
From a neutral perspective, the most exciting candidate by some distance because of the potential for fireworks. De Zerbi is one of the most interesting coaches in the game today from a tactical perspective and can even count Pep Guardiola among his admirers. His Brighton side was a joy to watch in full flow, while he's also presently doing a good job at Marseille, who are third in Ligue 1 and reasonably well placed to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League.
We also know that Chelsea are fans of De Zerbi's work, as they interviewed him before appointing Maresca as coach in the summer of 2024. The issue, of course, is that De Zerbi is very much his own man, wants complete control over what he's doing and is never afraid to speak his mind. Consequently, he doesn't feel like a good fit for Chelsea at all – but his tenure would be anything but dull, that's for sure!
