Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali look to have given themselves ample time to select the Blues' next permanent manager. Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique were the two favourites to take over immediately, but Chelsea look to have opted to instil club legend Frank Lampard on an interim basis.
Lampard, who won three Premier League titles with Chelsea before returning as manager in 2019, has been without a job in football since his sacking from Everton at the start of the year. In the same month two years prior, Lampard was dismissed by Chelsea after a disappointing season with the club languishing in mid-table.
However, he now looks set for a sensational return to west London for the final few months of the 2022/23 season. Despite sitting outside of the Premier League's top half, the Blues remain in the Champions League and face a challenging quarter-final against Real Madrid, with the first leg set for Wednesday, March 12.
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Despite Lampard being present for the draw against Liverpool on Tuesday, the news that announced he was close to coming in on a temporary basis was a surprising one to say the least. Luis Enrique looked as though he had taken a significant step towards becoming Chelsea's next manager after travelling to London for talks regarding the role at Stamford Bridge.
The former Barcelona boss has been out of the management fold since leaving his position at Spain after the World Cup. The 52-year-old is said to keen to become a manager once again, which is why Chelsea's decision to choose Lampard for the run-in until the end of the season is somewhat confusing, but it may also hint at who the favourite is among those at the club.
Enrique is available now but Chelsea would face two key obstacles if they hoped to appoint Julian Nagelsmann before the end of the current season. Firstly, the German coach looks set to undertake a period of reflection after his shock Bayern Munich sacking and any club who wanted to bring Nagelsmann in would have to pay the German giants.
Appointing Lampard until the end of the current campaign means Chelsea at least have a familiar face in charge. Likely aware of Nagelsmann's plans and the payment to Bayern, a summer appointment was always likely for Nagelsmann if he was chosen as Graham Potter's successor and given how the last 24 hours have played out, after Enrique's meeting in London, Chelsea may have hinted that Nagelsmann is the favoured choice over the Spaniard.
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