Chelsea football club have lined up Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca, and Brentford’s Thomas Frank as potential candidates for their next manager, according to a UK media tabloid.
One of them will be hired to replace departed Mauricio Pochettino who left br mutual consent.
Although, McKenna, 38, who successfully guided Ipswich Town to promotion from the Championship this season, has already been contacted, there are possibilities that one of the other two could also nick the job.
However, Chelsea faces competition from Brighton and Manchester United for his services.
McKenna’s potential move to Chelsea would require a compensation fee exceeding £4 million.
Enzo Maresca, 44, who led Leicester to the Championship title and previously served as a coach under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, is another strong candidate.
Danish coach Thomas Frank, 50, is also in contention for his achievements with Brentford, having secured their promotion to the Premier League and maintained their position in the top tier.
Additionally, Chelsea is rumored to have a fourth, undisclosed candidate on their shortlist. Although Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness was considered, he is now expected to remain in Germany.
With pre-season training set to begin on July 4, Chelsea aims to finalize their managerial appointment promptly.
The team, which finished sixth in the Premier League and reached the Carabao Cup final last season, will soon embark on a tour of the United States under new leadership.