Liam Rosenior set to be named new Chelsea manager in time for derby clash with former club Fulham after flying to London for final contract negotiations

Not long after Maresca was let go by Chelsea, Rosenior was quickly installed as the frontrunner for the vacant role, partly because both Strasbourg and the west London outfit are owned by BlueCo. When pressed on the Stamford Bridge links, the ex-Fulham man dismissed the matter as pure "speculation", while saying he was focused on his side's Ligue 1 clash with Nice this weekend.

He told reporters, "I'm going to talk about Nice because that's my job. There's a lot of noise, a lot of speculation, but as a coach, if you get involved in that, you fail. My job is here, I love this club. No, I haven't spoken to the players about it. There's no need, they're connected and I've had a few lighthearted jokes. But we've been focused on our work. The goal is to continue creating great things here. In life, there are zero guarantees. You never know what tomorrow will bring. I'm just doing my job. There's already been speculation. I don't want to guarantee how long I'll be here, but I enjoy myself here every day. I intend to continue doing so as long as I'm here. I love this club, but I can't guarantee anything. Nobody can. I want to do my job here, it's simple. The reality today is that I am the manager of Strasbourg and I am focused on my position. There are exchanges because we are part of the same group. I'm honest, you can never control everything in life. I could say I'm going to stay here for years and then get fired."

The following day, as reports of Chelsea's interest intensified, the ex-Derby County coach could give no guarantees over his long-term future at the French team, who he guided to a Europa Conference League spot last season.

"I don't know, to be honest. I said it in the press conference, in life you never know what can happen," said Rosenior. "It's difficult to describe the connection I have with this group. I feel loved, I've loved this job from the start. My answer remains the same: I don't know. Nothing is concrete, there are no concrete discussions. I just want to focus on the team, on the club, which is a magnificent club. What will be, will be; I have to stay focused on the present moment. It's a very beautiful city, with very beautiful people, a great club. I've loved everything. The players have been incredible. I truly want the best for this club."

After Strasbourg's draw away at Nice on Saturday, Rosenior said there "may be interest" in him but it was "nothing concrete" amid increasing speculation about a Chelsea switch. Although he said he "always tells the truth" and "never tries to hide things", L'Equipe state negotiations between his entourage and the Blues are 'much more advanced than he wanted to say'. The report adds that Rosenior is 'expected' to arrive at Chelsea in the next few hours. On Sunday afternoon, he flew with club president Marc Keller and sporting director David Weir to London from Strasbourg for talks. Moreover, Rosenior could be in the dugout for Chelsea's trip to in-form Fulham on Wednesday, but he is yet to sign his official contract with the club.

The report adds that Rosenior will take his assistant coaches Khalifa Cissé and Justin Walker to Chelsea while Strasbourg staff Filipe Coelho and Jean-Marc Kuentz are likely to lead the French team's Monday training session. Incidentally, Minnesota United boss Eric Ramsay, who spent two years in Chelsea's academy as a coach, is being considered to succeed Rosenior at Strasbourg.