Want to be Chelsea’s manager? Better get in line

By now, everyone knows what Chelsea transfer windows have looked like since Todd Boehly took over the club. Virtually no player is untouchable, and almost every footballer seems to be a target. Not literally, of course, but Chelsea cast an incredibly wide net and often end up signing ten or more players in a single transfer window.

The same approach applies to managers. Since Roman Abramovich sold the club to the American ownership group, Chelsea have gone through five different head coaches. Following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior — a decision that will reportedly cost the club a substantial compensation package — the London side has compiled a lengthy shortlist of candidates.

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The initial names included Xabi Alonso, who has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January, Andoni Iraola, who is set to leave Bournemouth next month, and Marco Silva of Fulham.

According to The Telegraph, two more names have now been added to the list: Oliver Glasner and Filipe Luis. Cesc Fabregas is also believed to be under consideration.

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At the moment, Chelsea do not have a clear favorite. A five-man working group led by sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart has identified several options and will present its recommendations to the club’s senior leadership in due course.

Iraola is currently viewed as the leading candidate to replace Glasner at Crystal Palace, although former Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has also been linked with the role at Selhurst Park.

Glasner’s resume is certainly impressive. He has enjoyed a long and successful coaching career in both the Bundesliga and the Premier League, won the FA Cup with Palace, and lifted the UEFA Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt. He could also add the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy to his collection by the end of the season.

However, there may be a personality clash. Glasner has publicly criticized Crystal Palace’s transfer dealings, and Chelsea’s hierarchy is not known for tolerating managers who openly challenge the board. That was one of the factors that reportedly counted against former coach Enzo Maresca.

As for Filipe Luis, Chelsea considered him even before Rosenior was appointed as Maresca’s successor. Since then, the former Chelsea defender has unexpectedly left Flamengo after leading the club to three trophies, including the Copa Libertadores. Flamengo’s board was reportedly unhappy after learning of his talks with Chelsea.

The main obstacle to appointing Luis is that he does not yet hold a UEFA Pro Licence. Still, his agent, Jorge Mendes, is believed to have the influence to speed up the process if Chelsea decide to move forward with the Brazilian.

As the old saying goes, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” In Chelsea’s case, the more names on the shortlist and the more uncertainty surrounding the decision, the greater the chance they end up making the wrong choice.