On 22nd April 2026, Chelsea parted ways with Liam Rosenior after just 23 games, making him the permanent manager to have been in charge for the fewest games. In contrast, the club’s third boss, David Calderhead, a Scot, was at the helm for almost 26 years!
Times have certainly changed, but Chelsea dismissing managers has been the norm for too long now, and they have to get the next appointment right. Eight different men have sat in the Blues’ dugout since September 2022, when Thomas Tuchel was sacked. Enzo Maresca was in charge for 549 days, easily the longest of any recent Chelsea manager, and it is clear that something isn’t working. Or, more accurately, lots of things are not working.
The club’s hierarchy has to pick the right person, although in truth, we have been saying that each time a new man comes in. Three matches of the season remain at the time of writing, and the Blues could feasibly lose the FA Cup final and finish in the bottom half of the table. That would represent a massive failure and a disastrous campaign for all involved with the club.
It is believed that Chelsea want to have the new boss installed comfortably in advance of pre-season training for the 2026/27 campaign. That means getting the new manager or head coach in by late June or very early July at the latest. But who will get the nod? And who would want to come to the club?
Liam Rosenior was rather a left-field pick last time, despite the connections between west London and Strasbourg. And second-guessing these owners is generally far from straightforward. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at some of the potential candidates.
Xabi Alonso
Right now, Spaniard Alonso is the overwhelming favourite with the bookies. Believed to be of interest to Liverpool, that could change very quickly if the Merseysiders decide to sack Arne Slot, but at the time of writing, the bookmakers make the former Bayer Leverkusen boss the odds-on favourite. He is currently available, which is a big plus, while some possible options might only become free after the World Cup, which doesn’t finish until the 19th of July.
Alonso did brilliantly with Leverkusen and his ability to improve players and work on a limited budget would be big ticks in his favour. The intelligent former midfielder led Leverkusen to the double in 2023/24, and they made the final of the Europa League as well. That was the only game they lost in an incredible season, and denying Bayern Munich the title made Alonso one of the hottest managers in football.
Twelve months later, they could not keep pace with Bayern but finished second, nine points clear of third. They lost just three league games, and at the end of the season, Alonso moved to Real Madrid. He was La Liga manager of the month in August, but ultimately, things did not work out in Spain. He left “by mutual consent” officially, in January 2026, leaving with a 70.59 win percentage from 34 games.
His reputation remains largely untarnished by his stint at Madrid, and if Chelsea could land him, it would be a real coup.
Andoni Iraola
Iraola is another young manager who has been linked to a number of big jobs, especially since confirming he would leave Bournemouth at the end of the season. Manchester United, Liverpool and even Manchester City have been rumoured to be interested in appointing the Basque, with a return to Athletic Bilbao, where he played for many years, also touted.
“This is the right moment to put an end to this journey that has been really special” 🗣️
Andoni Iraola on his decision to leave Bournemouth in the summer. pic.twitter.com/JKG9V70ZSj
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 17, 2026
Iraola has done brilliantly at Bournemouth, guiding them to 12th in his first season and then ninth last term. A top-six finish looks on the cards this term despite the Cherries selling several top players, and many are intrigued to see how he would do at a club with bigger resources. The bookies make him the second favourite and the only other contender at single-digit odds.
Marco Silva
Fulham boss Marco Silva is another Premier League boss with a strong reputation. He has been with the Cottagers since 2021 and, in 2024/25, led them to a record-high Premier League points tally. His contract expires in June, and he is linked, though he lacks the appeal of several other candidates.
Filipe Luis
Filipe Luis is a name fewer young Premier League fans will know, but the former left back, who boasts 44 caps for Brazil, is said to be on Chelsea’s radar. He played for the Blues 26 times in 2014/15 and was linked with the manager’s job at the Bridge earlier this year. Aged just 40, he achieved success with Flamengo’s youth teams before guiding the seniors to a raft of trophies, including the 2025 Copa Libertadores.
Oliver Glasner
Glasner has worked wonders at Crystal Palace, guiding them to their first major trophy with last year’s FA Cup. They then beat Man City in the Community Shield and could add the Europa Conference League before their manager, unhappy with a lack of support from the board, leaves at the end of the season.
Glasner is 51 and is also being linked to several other big clubs. He led Eintracht Frankfurt to glory in the Europa League in 2022, and if he can add the Conference League, his stock will only rise. Palace are seeking to replace him with Iraola, but it is hard to see that happening. Either way, Chelsea could definitely do worse than appoint the Austrian.
Other Options?
The managers detailed above are probably the most likely to get the job but things can change very quickly when it comes to next-manager betting and who is in the running. Some of the names already detailed may rule themselves out or be appointed elsewhere. Alternatively, other options can emerge that had not previously been considered.
That said, if none of the five most obvious contenders at the time of writing are appointed, there are a couple of fairly obvious options who could be in the mix. The first is a man who has already been the Blues’ boss twice before, once permanently and again in an interim role. Not to mention playing for the club a massive 648 times and being the record goalscorer.
Frank Lampard’s managerial career was almost over after he was sacked by Everton with a win percentage of just 27.3%, and then he oversaw eight defeats in 11 games as the Blues’ interim boss at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. However, he has been magnificent at Coventry and rebuilt his reputation to such a degree that we can’t rule out a return to the Bridge. Though perhaps not yet.
Another obvious contender is another former Chelsea midfielder, Cesc Fabregas. The Spaniard has impressed with Italian minnows Como, and they could yet secure a top-four finish and Champions League football. Considering they were in Serie B in 2023/24, that is some achievement. Fabregas would be a good fit in many ways, but again, it may be a little soon for him, and he may prefer to try and see where he can take his current club.