Chelsea have earmarked former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann as the leading candidate to take over at Stamford Bridge.
What’s the latest on Nagelsmann to Chelsea?
According to reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the German is the preferred choice to succeed Graham Potter, who was brutally dismissed on Sunday evening.
The update also detailed how the 35-year-old is ahead of other options such as Luis Enrique, Tite and Roberto De Zerbi.
In a tweet to his followers, Romano said:
“Contacts between Chelsea and Julian Nagelsmann will continue today in order to make a decision on both sides with German coach favourite candidate since Sunday.
“Luis Enrique remains one of the names on the list. No contacts with Tite, Spalletti, De Zerbi despite links.”
To secure Nagelsmann would be an astute and shrewd coup of one of Europe’s most exciting and promising coaches.
What would Nagelsmann bring to Chelsea?
The Bavarian-born boss began his managerial career at Hoffenheim at the beginning of 2016 when Die Kraichgauer was in the relegation zone. The master tactician then guided them to safety, which was followed by fourth and third-placed domestic finishes.
This unbelievable achievement caught the eye of RB Leipzig and in 2020 he became the youngest coach to reach the Champions League semi-final.
Inevitably, he was snapped up by Bayern, where he secured his first Bundesliga title during his first season at the helm.
However, despite progressing to the Champions League quarter-final by dominating a Paris Saint-Germain side containing Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, his side had slipped behind Dortmund in the league, so the board prematurely pulled the plug on his tenure.
The coach left the two-time European champions with the fourth-best points-per-game ratio (2.19 per 90) of any manager in Bayern history.
This has opened the door for Chelsea to pounce on this unexpected sacking amid the chaos of Potter’s unceremonious departure.
Despite his latest job, Nagelsmann retains his formidable reputation as a fantastic, enigmatic young manager.
Sky Germany reporter Philipp Hinze has heaped praise on the former Augsburg youth product for his attention to detail and tactical awareness.
“He’s clever, tactically so good and good on technical things. His speeches before and after the game in the locker room are very good. He was a mastermind. In Leipzig, they said to me he had an awesome, outstanding mentality.”
If the Blues hierarchy fails to take this opportunity, another continental juggernaut will surely take up Nagelsmann as elite managers never last on the market for long.
He possesses far more experience, pedigree, and quality than Potter ever did and would excite the fanbase just as Thomas Tuchel’s arrival had done two years before.