Chelsea owner assessing all options before choosing the next main man at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has added four Premier League managers to his Chelsea shortlist as the search for a new permanent manager at Stamford Bridge goes on.
Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino, Stoke’s Mark Hughes, Leicester’s Claudio Ranieri (a former Chelsea boss) and Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe are all in the frame to replace Guus Hiddink when he steps down in the summer.
Hiddink has been put in charge for the remainder of the season by Abramovich, as a replacement for Jose Mourinho, who was sacked in December.
Since Mourinho’s sacking, many names have been tossed around in terms of who’s the main to take the full-time job in London for next season, names including Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid, Pep Guadiola of Bayern Munich, and ex-Liverpool man Brendan Rodgers.
Search Continues in England
However, it’s thought that Chelsea are expanding their searches to England, with worries that a manager from foreign lands may fail to be attracted, with Chelsea set to miss out on Champions League football for next season and possibly even finish in the bottom half of the table.
So Abramovich has altered his sights to look at managers within the Premier League at less high-profile clubs.
He knows Ranieri, the mastermind behind Leicester’s title challenge, having fired him in 2004 and bringing in Mourinho for his first spell at the club.
But the Russian is also said to be impressed with how Eddie Howe has guided Bournemouth to such success in recent years, earning him a spot as one of the contenders.
By Ben Kelly – @benkelly_10
