Who will be the next Chelsea manager? Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna off the table as Blues narrow down search to replace Mauricio Pochettino

The Blues surprised many when revealing that Argentine tactician Pochettino would be allowed to walk away from Stamford Bridge on the back of a sixth-place finish in the Premier League. While the 2023-24 campaign was not always plain sailing in west London, a run of five successive wins at the end of the season hinted at a brighter future being enjoyed.

A new coach is required to pick up that baton, with The Athletic claiming that Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are now the only names on Chelsea’s ever-shortening list. That is because Ipswich boss McKenna – fresh from overseeing an automatic promotion push out of the Championship – is not being considered following talks with the 38-year-old Northern Irishman.

He is held in high regard – having previously spent time in Manchester United’s backroom staff alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho – but other, more experienced options are now being explored.

Sporting boss Ruben Amorim, according to Fabrizio Romano, is another name that is no longer on the table at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are looking to appoint somebody that knows the Premier League, giving them the best possible chance of kicking on and delivering on lofty expectations in 2024-25.