Luis EnriqueGetty Imges

Chelsea manager hunt: Luis Enrique drops down list amid Spurs links with Julian Nagelsmann & Mauricio Pochettino set for further talks

  • Luis Enrique drops down list after impressing in talks
  • Further meetings scheduled with Nagelsmann & Pochettino
  • Spurs now have clear path to Luis Enrique

WHAT HAPPENED? The Spaniard flew to London two weeks ago and apparently impressed those among the Chelsea hierarchy, but The Telegraph are now reporting that he has fallen down the pecking order. The former Barcelona and Spain boss, therefore, joins Sporting's Ruben Amorim, who was revealed to have dropped out of the running on Monday.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: With Luis Enrique and Amorim now rank outsiders, the path appears to have opened up for Julian Nagelsmann. The 35-year-old German held his first interview with the Blues last week and came across well, according to the same report, meaning further talks are expected. Chelsea are also thought to be considering a move for Mauricio Pochettino. The former Tottenham boss has been out of work since June 2022 and was originally contacted by the west London club following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel in September.

AND WHAT'S MORE: The Telegraph continues that a fresh round of talks with Pochettino are also expected, although those at the club are insistent that there is no clear favourite at present. Going the other way, Chelsea's cooling of their interest in Luis Enrique may have opened up a clear path for Tottenham to find their Antonio Conte successor. The north London club are thought to have already made contact with the Spaniard and could ramp up their efforts to bring him in while the Blues are focused on other targets.

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IN THREE PHOTOS:

Luis Enrique Selección Española Getty ImagesJulian NaglesmannGetty20230402_Mauricio_Pochettino(C)Getty images

WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA? The Blues will see out the current campaign under the temporary stewardship of Frank Lampard, who has lost all four of his opening games across all competitions. It is thought that those among the club's hierarchy want an appointment in place by the season's end, following examples set by Manchester United in affording a new manager a full pre-season with, in Chelsea's case, an extremely bloated squad.

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