Pochettino Now Set to Become Next Chelsea Boss

It now appears that Chelsea have found their new manager. After Julian Nagelsmann recently ruled himself out of the running to take charge of the Blues, the stage is set for Mauricio Pochettino to return to the Premier League. After managing Tottenham, he will now head to Stamford Bridge with the aim of improving the fortunes of one of their chief rivals.

The bookmakers now go massive odds-on that Pochettino is given a permanent contract by Chelsea FC owner Todd Boehly, with the 51-year-old having been in charge of Tottenham between 2014-2019 and he was able to steer them to a Champions League final.

Poch has been out of work since leaving Paris Saint-Germain last summer although positive talks were reportedly held on Monday and the bookmakers think that an imminent appointment is on the cards.

Pochettino Set for Stamford Bridge (1/12 with BetVictor)

Chelsea were thwarted when it came to appointing Julian Nagelsmann as a replacement for Graham Potter, although perhaps they were always going to hire Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine has been biding his time since leaving Paris Saint-Germain last season although talks have been held with the London club and it's clear that they will match his ambitions.

Pochettino is held in high regard by Tottenham supporters after a successful spell which saw him take charge for five years between 2014-2019. Previously to this, he impressed as a relative unknown when managing Southampton, with the 51-year-old having started out by coaching Espanyol and he looks tailor-made Chelsea role.

The difficulty for Pochettino is that a lot of new signings have recently been made, and it could be that the South American would want to put his own imprint in the squad by moving players out and bringing in players that will fit his system. However, he's currently trading as hot favourite and perhaps an appointment is imminent.

Vincent Kompany a Wanted Man (14/1 with BetVictor)

Vincent Kompany was seen as something of a left field move for Burnley a year ago when taking charge of a club who had been relegated from the Premier League. However, the Belgian hasn't looked back since assuming the position at Turf Moor and he guided the Clarets to promotion from the Championship with plenty of games to spare.

Kompany punched above his weight considering that the aim of the project was to get the Lancashire side promoted within a handful of seasons and his achievement has clearly caught the eye of the bigger Premier League clubs. This includes Chelsea who are aiming to hire someone who can reshape the squad and make them capable of challenging on all fronts.

It depends whether Kompany is prepared to take a gamble and make the switch from Burnley at this stage of a fledgling managerial career. It might be that the former Manchester City defender wants to bide his time and see how he can fare in the Premier League with his current club.

Nagelsmann Rules Out Stamford Bridge Move (33/1 with BetVictor)

Julian Nagelsmann is not expected to be out of work for an extended period of time following his recent sacking by Bayern Munich. However, he has ruled himself out of the Chelsea manager's position after holding extensive talks with the London club. It might be that he instead takes the reins at Tottenham.

At the time of his departure, Bayern were second in the Bundesliga, one point behind Dortmund, but the Bavarian club decided to make the move to help boost their title and Champions League hopes despite recently exiting the latter at the hands of Manchester City. 

Thomas Tuchel, the former Chelsea manager, replaced Nagelsmann at Bayern. Nagelsmann would be seen as a logical appointment to replace Potter, who failed to live up to that hype after doing brilliant work at Brighton. He, however, has faded on football betting sites as he has reportedly ruled himself out of the running.

Nagelsmann guided Bayern to the Bundesliga title last season, his first in charge at the Allianz Arena. He also steered the German champions into the last eight of the Champions League by overcoming Paris Saint-Germain, with Chelsea owner Todd Boehly removing Potter shortly after the 35-year-old became a free agent, especially with Tottenham also looking for a manager. He has previously impressed at spells in charge of Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig.

Lampard Not Expected to Get Permanent Contract 

Frank Lampard wasn't even considered as a possible successor to Graham Potter until news broke that the Chelsea legend was holding talks about returning to the Stamford Bridge hot seat on an interim basis. However, the latest football betting odds imply that owner Todd Boehly is unlikely to have the coach in charge beyond this season.

Having already failed once at Chelsea, it was strange that Lampard was given a second bite of the cherry under different owners. The 44-year-old taking caretaker charge has echoes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returning to Manchester United, and one can't help but feel it's a puzzling move to reinstate someone who doesn't appear to be good enough. That was reinforced by a 1-0 defeat at Wolves. There was then a 2-0 Champions League defeat at Real Madrid before a 2-1 home defeat against Brighton.

Lampard had a successful spell before heading to Chelsea where he initially prospered despite a transfer embargo. However, he was replaced by Thomas Tuchel after a poor run of form and also left Everton this season after only just surviving the drop with the Toffees last term. A Champions League double-header against Real Madrid further exposed the former England midfielder.

Enrique Among Chelsea Favourites (33/1 with BetVictor)

Luis Enrique has been a name in the betting frame for the vacant Tottenham Hotspur manager's position with most bookmakers, and it could be that the Spaniard is also interviewed for the Chelsea job. His track record certainly suggests that the latter might put the feelers out as they compile a shortlist for a Graham Potter replacement.

Enrique has most recently been seen taking charge of the Spain national team at the 2022 World Cup, although he is most renowned for his success at Barcelona, with the 52-year-old having won two La Liga titles and also a Champions League crown.

The coach has never operated in England before and much comes down to whether he has the desire to take on a fresh challenge, with Chelsea having spent around £500 million on players in the January transfer window.

Mourinho Set For Another Chelsea Return? (33/1 with bet365)

It seems like a fantastical notion, although Jose Mourinho is among the latest names bandied around on betting sites in the Chelsea FC manager betting, with the current Roma boss certainly aware of what's happening at Stamford Bridge due to a strong association with the London club.

Mourinho remains the most successful Chelsea manager of all time, with the 60-year-old having won two Premier League titles during three spells with the Blues. He was able to secure successive domestic crowns in 2005 and 2006 before steering them to another success in the 2014-15 season.

The self-styled 'Special One' previously worked under former owner Roman Abramovich and might be open to a third stint at Chelsea, with the supporters keen for a serial winner to potentially return and take charge of a squad brimming with talent. The money has been coming for someone who has an impressive track record at the club.

Rodgers Has Chelsea Connection (33/1 with BetVictor)

Brendan Rodgers does have a Chelsea connection, and the 49-year-old could be interested in the vacancy at Stamford Bridge after he and Leicester parted company just a couple of hours before Potter's departure was announced. Rodgers was reserve team coach at the west London club between 2006 and 2008, with the Northern Irishman then embarking on a managerial career which has largely been successful. 

Rodgers has been in charge of several high-profile clubs, with several years spent at Liverpool between 2012-2015 where Rodgers created an entertaining team who came within a whisker of winning the Premier League title. He was then successful with Celtic before getting the chance to manage in the Premier League again, and he has won the FA Cup with the Foxes.

Rodgers steered Leicester to the Europa League spots in two consecutive seasons, and this move would be an opportunity for the manager to return to a club he knows well - and his odds with new betting sites shows he could be a candidate.

Amorim on the Drift (33/1 with BetVictor)

The betting sites suggest that Ruben Amorim could be one of the Chelsea manager's shortlist, with the Sporting CP coach having previously been linked to a host of high-profile positions. The Portuguese had a successful spell in charge of Braga between 2019-20 before taking charge of Sporting where he has developed a winning team.

Amorim won the Primeira Liga with Sporting during the 2020-21 season and the side have also had a number of successful forays into Europe. This season, they remain in the Europa League and were recently successful against Arsenal in a two-legged affair after knocking out the Gunners on penalties.

It appears as though this promising young manager could be approached by Chelsea, Tottenham or Leicester at the time of writing, with the bookies certainly affording him plenty of respect when it comes to the possibility of replacing Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge.

Gallardo Now Among Favourites (33/1 with BetVictor)

Marcelo Gallardo is relatively unknown outside England, although he has a legendary status in South America. After all, the 47-year-old was in charge of River Plate between 2014 and 2022, with the manager having secured a spate of silverware during his time at the club. In 2021, there was an Argentine Primera Division success and there were also three Copa Argentina successes.

There were also two Supercopa Argentina wins in 2017 and 2019, with two Copa Libertadores' successes also coming the way of the team, with the manager now potentially eyeing the possibility of taking charge of Chelsea and the odds suggest he could be in the running.

Gallardo has now had a break from management and could be open to a new project at Chelsea, although this appointment could be considered as a risk. After all, spells with Nacional and River Plate give no hint as to how he would cope with a high-pressured role in England.