Ex-Lionesses star Casey Stoney withdraws from race to replace Emma Hayes at Chelsea - with Laura Harvey & Elisabet Gunnarsdottir favourites to succeed incoming USWNT boss

Stoney had been tipped as one of three major candidates for Hayes' job as she left the club after 12 years having accepted an offer to become the head coach of the United States women's national team. The San Diego Wave coach is likely going to reject the interest from Chelsea as she would prefer to stay with the National Women's Soccer League side for the upcoming season as per a report by The Times.

The other two candidates in the running for the post are Elisabet Gunnarsdottir, who coached Swedish side Kristianstads DFF from 2009 to 2023, and Laura Harvey of Seattle Reign. The former is still currently the likeliest candidate out of the three as even Harvey has suggested towards not shifting bases this season.

in a recent interview, 43-year-old Harvey said [via The Times]: “It is always nice to feel like you are wanted, but my home is in Seattle right now.”

Stoney, who has received 130 caps for England, has made an impression in San Diego, drawing skilled footballers due to her stature in the sport. The club was led by the 41-year-old to their first NWSL Shield in 2023—the prize awarded to the team with the most points during the regular season—but they were defeated in the play-off semi-finals.

Chelsea wants to make the changeover as smooth as possible, therefore they want to announce Hayes' replacement many months before the end of the current campaign. Paul Green, Hayes's assistant, will stay in west London and be crucial to the transition while Denise Reddy, her second assistant manager, will travel with her to the US.