LUIS ENRIQUE has emerged as a frontrunner for the Chelsea job, SunSport understands.
Julian Nagelsmann is the current bookies favourite to take over from Graham Potter.
However, the Blues will reportedly require Bayern Munich’s permission to take the German to Stamford Bridge, as he is still on gardening leave.
And that may be hard to come by as the two sides will meet in the Champions League semi-final if they win their respective ties against Real Madrid and Man City.
Former Barcelona and Spain manager Enrique has a number of admirers among the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.
And he enjoyed most of his success at Barca, where he led an expensively-assembled squad to unprecedented success, as he will be required to do at Chelsea.
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In his first season in charge, 2014-15, he led Barca to a treble as he won every trophy on offer with a strikeforce of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
Enrique was sacked by the Spanish national team for a humiliating World Cup exit on penalties against Morocco.
But before that, he was credited with revitalising La Roja with a run to the Euro 2020 semi-final, where they were unlucky to lose on pens to eventual winners Italy.
And he guided Spain to the 2021 Nations League final where they were edged out by France.
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Chelsea sacked Graham Potter after he left the club in the bottom half of the Premier League table, despite the Blues signing £326m worth of players in the January transfer window.
Most notably, Mykhailo Mudryk has failed to fire despite being signed on a deal that could be worth up to £97m.
The Ukrainian has yet to score and took seven games to even register an assist for the Blues.
Chelsea have been linked with a number of different managers, including Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino, Frankfurt’s Oliver Glasner and Napoli’s Luciano Spalletti.
Bruno Saltor, who joined from Brighton with Potter, has been placed in caretaker charge for this week’s match against Real Madrid.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
