Who will be the new Chelsea manager?

With Enzo Maresca out in shocking fashion as Chelsea manager after a pretty successful 18-month spell, who will be the next boss at Stamford Bridge?

MORE — Maresca out as Chelsea manager

Candidates are starting to be mentioned in several reports and below we take a look at some of the names who could be handed a very appealing job which also comes with huge expectations given the talent levels of the squad.

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Roberto De Zerbi

Per a report from the BBC, the Italian coach is admired by the Chelsea decision makers and they met him in the summer. He’s done a wonderful job at Marseille and RDZ has experience in the Premier League after leading Brighton to Europe playing an exciting, intense style of football. But like Maresca, he’s not shy in speaking out if he doesn’t agree with decisions made from the hierarchy at the club. That could be a problem. But it is a risk worth taking.

Liam Rosenior

This would be a bold move, but you can’t argue with Rosenior’s record. The young English coach did a heck of a job at Hull City to get them close to the playoffs in the Championship, then worked wonders at Strasbourg to led them to European qualification in Ligue 1. Strasbourg are owned by the same BlueCo group as Chelsea so Rosenior is known well and rated highly by those running the show. A job this big may be a little too early in his managerial career, but he deserves to be in the conversation and his style of football is similar to Maresca’s.

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Kieran McKenna

Chelsea previously spoke to McKenna when they hired Maresca and he’s doing a great job at Ipswich. Their relegation from the Premier League last season was less about him and more about resources, while he has them on a great run in the Championship this season as they push for an immediate return. McKenna is a great man-manager and will relish getting the best out of so many top young talents. But his appointment may be seen as an underwhelming one by many Chelsea fans.

Andoni Iraola

If we throw a couple of names out there when it comes to current Premier League managers doing a great job, Iraola should be right there. The Spaniard has gone through a tough patch with Bournemouth recently and even though his high-pressing style of play is totally different to Maresca’s, it may be useful for Chelsea to go in this direction for success over a longer period of time. Iraola’s tactics need a young, large, hungry squad to succeed and Chelsea has that.

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Eddie Howe

Again, he’s done a marvelous job at Newcastle and there’s no telling if he’s available. But Howe might be ready for the next step. It would be risky for him as he’s basically got a job for the next five years (and probably longer) at Newcastle based on what he’s achieved there. But Howe backs himself and his record working and developing young players, all while delivering winning and exciting teams, is undoubted.

Unai Emery

See above. He is working wonders at Aston Villa and is backed in whatever way he wants. Why would he leave that? Maybe for a new challenge at a team he knows has bigger resources. It would be tough for Chelsea to pry Emery away from Villa but it’s certainly worth trying to. The Spaniard is one of the best coaches in the game and has thrived with underdogs in Villarreal, Aston Villa and Sevilla. But after a mixed time in charge of PSG and Arsenal in the past, it is logical for him to give it one more go at a monster club like Chelsea.