Chelsea's hierarchy are concerned about hiring Julian Nagelsmann as their next manager due to the German's relatively young age.
The Blues are on the lookout for a new boss after sacking Graham Potter on Sunday night. Interim manager Bruno Saltor will take charge of Tuesday night's game against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, with the team sitting 11th in the Premier League table.
It is believed Chelsea chair Todd Boehly wants to appoint a new manager before the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against holders Real Madrid in Spain on April 12. Boehly wants to interview at least five candidates, including Nagelsmann.
Former Bayern Munich boss Nagelsmann is the early frontrunner for the Chelsea job, despite leaving the Bundesliga champions at the end of March. Yet the emerging coach's lack of experience is thought to be a concern for the Blues after the Potter debacle.
Potter was given the Chelsea job in September, despite having no previous experience coaching a Champions League club. Nagelsmann, 35, has coached in Europe's biggest club competition before, but his Bayern exit is a worry - according to Sky Sports.
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Nagelsmann's previous jobs were at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, who are not considered among Europe's elite clubs. Bayern was Nagelsmann's first job at a club who have lifted the European Cup before... and it ended with him being dismissed 20 months later.
Mauricio Pochettino and Luciano Spalletti are both being considered by Chelsea (Getty Images)Who do you think should be the next Chelsea manager? Let us know in the comments below!
That, coincided with Nagelsmann potentially seeking a break from management, could rule him out of the running for the Chelsea job. Yet that would still leave Boehly and his colleagues with four other candidates, all of whom boast intriguing CVs.
As reported by The Telegraph, Chelsea's sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley have been put in charge of finding the Premier League club's next manager and have drawn-up a five-man shortlist - including Nagelsmann.
The other four candidates for the Chelsea job are former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique, current Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti and another candidate, who remains anonymous.
Luis Enrique is currently available (EFE/PA Images)Pochettino is currently unattached and has a brilliant reputation of working with younger players. During his time at Tottenham, he got a tune out of the likes of Dele Alli and Harry Kane to get them to the 2015 League cup final and 2019 Champions League final.
Chelsea do have a number of emerging talents on their books - such as Mykhaylo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez and Noni Madueke - but Pochettino's Tottenham history may rule him out of contention. The Argentine is still adored by Chelsea's bitter rivals.
Enrique was named as FIFA's World Coach of the Year in 2015 after inspiring Barcelona to a LaLiga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble, but his stock has fallen since leaving the Catalan giants in the summer of 2017.
Enrique was appointed by Spain a year after leaving Barcelona and guided them to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and the final of the Nations League in 2021. Yet he was forced to step down form his position after Morocco dumped Spain out of the World Cup in Qatar.
Spalletti is one of Europe's most experienced coaches after spells with Udinese, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Roma, Inter Milan and now Napoli. His team are storming towards a first Serie A title in 33 years and have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
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Yet it's unclear whether Spalletti would be willing to leave Napoli at this moment in time. The Italian is almost certain to remain in Naples until the end of the season to cement his legacy in the region.
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