Chelsea are set for further talks with Julian Nagelsmann who has emerged as a firm favourite for their vacant manager role ahead of Luis Enrique, sources have told 90min.
Nagelsmann has been out of work since being dumped by Bayern Munich and quickly attracted interest from the Blues when they ditched Graham Potter.
Chelsea sources claim Enrique, who held face-to-face talks with club officials earlier this month, was not listed as one of their leading options.
However, 90min has been told Enrique and his camp felt Chelsea were already heading in another direction. That is one reason they have pursued interest from Tottenham Hotspur, who they have been talking to while meeting Chelsea.
Enrique is regarded as an outside prospect along with Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim, while Napoli’s Luciano Spalletti also fans in Chelsea’s hierarchy. Mauricio Pochettino is another strong candidate.
Pochettino was approached by Chelsea intermediaries earlier this season in February with the possibility of replacing Potter but wasn’t convinced at that point. However, his interest in Stamford Bridge is long-standing having also spoken to them before Potter was appointed.
While Chelsea continue to insist they do not have a preferred candidate, 90min has been told co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have been hugely impressed by Nagelsmann throughout the process; the 35-year-old German met with the Blues last week.