24 Apr 2026 12:35 BST |
7 min read
For the fifth time of the BlueCo era, Chelsea are once again looking to appoint a new permanent head coach following the sacking of Liam Rosenior.
After just 23 games in charge, Rosenior was dismissed on 22 April following a run of five consecutive Premier League defeats without scoring, and the club have shortlisted a number of potential successors.
Chelsea have placed Calum McFarlane in interim charge until the end of the season and they will then make a permanent appointment this summer as they look to finally challenge for the Premier League title for the first time under their new owners.
Below, FootballTransfers ranks the 10 candidates Chelsea have identified as possible replacements for Rosenior.
10. Edin Terzic (Unattached)
Edin Terzic has been linked with the Chelsea job since Rosenior’s sacking, but he appears to be on the verge of becoming the new Athletic Club manager instead.
In any case, he was arguably the worst candidate for the role. He guided Borussia Dortmund to the 2024 Champions League final, but he hasn’t managed since then and he could only manage a fifth place finish in the Bundesliga that season.
9. Filipe Luis (Unattached)
The Chelsea owners are the reason that Filipe Luis is currently unattached. Following the departure of Enzo Maresca in January, he interviewed with BlueCo, but it’s understood that he was in contention to replace Rosenior at Strasbourg rather than return to Stamford Bridge.
These talks led to his Flamengo sacking, despite the fact that he guided the club to Brazilian top flight and Copa Libertadores glory during a hugely successful 18-month spell in charge.
Luis played at Chelsea for one season in 2014-15, in addition to a stellar career at Atletico Madrid, and he would therefore command respect in the dressing room. Furthermore, he proved his credentials as a very talented coach at Flamengo, but his lack of top-level managerial experience counts against him.
8. Xavi (Unattached)
Xavi is also available on a free and he is certainly an intriguing candidate given his pedigree as one of the best midfielders in football history.
The Chelsea squad would undoubtedly listen to his expertise and guidance, and he has previously admitted that he would love the opportunity to manage in the Premier League.
His managerial record is also very impressive, with a 66% win rate across spells at Al-Sadd and Barcelona, while he guided the latter to La Liga glory in 2022-23. However, he has been out of work for the past two years and he is yet to fully prove his ability as an elite tactician.
7. Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace)
Oliver Glasner has already confirmed that he will leave Crystal Palace following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, which will bring to an end an immense stint at Selhurst Park.
He guided the Eagles to their first ever major trophy in the form of the FA Cup last season, while they remain in contention to win the Europa Conference League this time around. He also masterminded Eintracht Frankfurt’s Europa League in 2022.
But, he has clashed with the Palace owners regarding transfers, which would be an issue with BlueCo’s style, while his preferred 3-4-3 system would mark a major change for Chelsea.
6. Marco Silva (Fulham)
Marco Silva has been one of the most underrated managers in the Premier League for years and he deserves huge credit for establishing Fulham as a reliable mid-table club every season.
He led them to the Championship title during his first campaign in charge and they have finished 10th, 13th and 11th in the three full seasons since returning to the top flight.
Silva has made them hard to beat and he has constantly extracted the very best out of his players – with Harry Wilson a prime example this year. He may not be the most glamorous name, but Silva has crucial Premier League experience and he could prove to be a much-needed steady hand at Stamford Bridge.
5. Francesco Farioli (Porto)
Francesco Farioli has been linked with Chelsea on a number of occasions in recent years and he is once again under consideration ahead of this summer.
He is in his first season in charge of FC Porto and they are in pole position to win the Portuguese top flight for the first time since 2022, having won 25 of their 30 league matches to date.
Farioli has implemented an attractive brand of football since his arrival, prioritising patient build-up play before accelerating in transition, in a similar fashion to Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton, and an aggressive man-to-man marking scheme. He has only coached one season in a top European league, though, which came with OGC Nice in 2023-24.
4. Cesc Fabregas (Como)
Appointing Cesc Fabregas would be a universally popular decision with the Chelsea fans. The Spaniard is still adored by the Blues faithful and his song is sung at almost every single home match without fail.
He would also be a favourite amongst the playing squad, one would imagine, given his immense playing career and the fact he is regarded as one of the most promising managers in the world.
Fabregas has done a fantastic job at Como, with the club currently in contention for Champions League qualification, and he is certainly establishing himself as a top-level tactician on a weekly basis. His short managerial career to date is a slight concern, but it likely wouldn’t be a huge issue given his pedigree.
3. Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth)
Just like Glasner, Andoni Iraola has already confirmed that he will be departing his current club this summer, and Bournemouth have already secured his replacement in the form of Marco Rose.
He was expected to return to Athletic Club, the team he played for between 2003 and 2015, but with the aforementioned Terzic set to take that job, Iraola is one of the leading contenders to become the new Chelsea head coach, and he’d be an excellent appointment.
He’s worked wonders at Bournemouth, having implemented an aggressive pressing system, and with vital Premier League experience, Iraola appears to be a superb candidate to guide Chelsea back towards the top of the table.
2. Xabi Alonso (Unattached)
Xabi Alonso is an excellent head coach and although it didn’t work out at Real Madrid, his departure was largely due to the fact the huge egos in the squad had little interest in listening to his tactical ideas.
The Spaniard’s reputation shouldn’t have decreased thanks to his time at the Bernabeu and, after all, this is a coach who led Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in 2023-24 without losing a single game.
Alonso would carry credit as an elite player too and appointing him would send a strong signal to intent to the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella, who have hinted they could push to leave Chelsea this summer.
1. Julian Nagelsmann (Germany)
In many regards, Julian Nagelsmann would be the dream candidate for Chelsea this summer, and he has been on a number of occasions over the past few years.
He is still only 38 years old, but his pedigree is stellar and reports indicate that he is likely to leave his role as the Germany national team boss following the 2026 World Cup.
Nagelsmann has experience at Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and now Germany, and he could be the perfect choice to save the BlueCo project at Chelsea given his tactical expertise.
However, reports have indicated that while Chelsea have added Nagelsmann to their shortlist of potential options, he isn’t interested in the job. If possible, persuading him to change his mind would be in Chelsea’s best interest, with Nagelsmann possessing all the qualities required to succeed at Stamford Bridge.
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