Chelsea board considering SHOCK name to replace Enzo Maresca despite 41-year-old Englishman having never managed in Premier League before

Sack talk had been mounting at Chelsea on the back of a disappointing end to 2025. Just two wins were picked up through eight games across all competitions in December. One of those came against League One side Cardiff in the Carabao Cup, meaning that only a solitary success - at home to Everton - was enjoyed in Premier League action.

Maresca oversaw Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup triumphs last season, alongside qualification for the Champions League, but it wasn't enough to save the Italian, with Chelsea confirming on New Year's Day that they had parted company with their head coach with immediate effect.

Maresca spoke out in public ahead of the aforementioned victory over Everton and hinted at issues arising behind the scenes. He suggested that the backing at boardroom level is not where it should be, given all that he has achieved.

TEAMtalk claims that said comments caught Chelsea officials "by surprise" and that owners "Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have been left shocked and annoyed". It was apparently made clear that they "will not put up with their own management being called into question", ultimately leading to the decision to part with Maresca after the credit he had built up during his first 18 months had "all but gone".

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It is also reported that there is “belief within BlueCo that they already have a manager in-house that they believe could be ready to step up”. That man is Rosenior, who is currently calling the shots at Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg.

The ex-Derby and Hull City boss has impressed in France and boasts a mindset that will appeal to many on and off the pitch in west London. Rosenior has previously told the Premier League’s official website: “What I believe in is to take risks, to play from the back, to try and dominate possession, to express yourself with the ball, and to be able to make mistakes. We've made a few mistakes here that have led to goals but I know the players will improve from those errors.

“That's the reason the guys were interested in me coming here, so it's great that they support what I do, and are aligned with what I believe in. It gives me the confidence to go and put my ideas into practice.”

He added on becoming a boss: “Management gives you sleepless nights but with experience I am learning to accept I can’t always control whether we win or lose. That’s why I focus on the process, trying to enjoy everything we do along the way, without looking too far ahead or making big targets.

“The mental, physical and emotional demands of being a manager are so different. Win or lose, you have to be the person at the end of a game who stands in front of the group, providing them with the right energy, and the right messaging. And to do that properly, I am learning that you must rest and recover at the right times.

“I'm addicted to football, so that isn't easy to do, but managing myself better is something I continually work at.”

Rosenior, who was an assistant to Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney at Derby before taking the reins himself, has never worked in the Premier League as a head coach. He did, however, grace that level as a player with Fulham, Reading, Hull City and Brighton.

He is under contract at Strasbourg through to 2028 - with his team sat seventh in Ligue 1, just outside the European qualification spots - but it would not take much for Boehly and Co to thrash out a new agreement in London now that Maresca has been ushered through the exits.