Ange Postecoglou has emerged as a surprise candidate for the Chelsea vacancy, although reports suggest that Mauricio Pochettino is leading the race to take over at Stamford Bridge.
The west London club are weighing up their options to replace Graham Potter following the Englishman’s dismissal, after their preferred candidate, Julian Nagelsmann, snubbed them on Friday.
And according to The Guardian, Celtic boss Postecoglou is on Todd Boehly’s radar given the excellent job the Australian has done north of the border.
The 57-year-old is on track to win a second consecutive Scottish Premiership title with his side 12 points clear of Michael Beale’s Rangers. The former Socceroos coach has developed an attacking brand of football in Glasgow and has earned a reputation for improving players on the training ground.
Postecoglou joined Celtic in 2021 as a managerial uncertainty but has handled the weight of expectation with aplomb, leading the club to the title last season, and has won back-to-back League Cups in his first two seasons.
Ange Postecoglou (left) has emerged as a shock contender for the Chelsea job
The west Londoners are looking for a new manager amid a very dispapointing 2022-23 season
Postecoglou has impressed at Celtic but Mauricio Pochettino remains the favourite
However, there are reportedly concerns that, having managed in Australia, Japan and Scotland, Postecoglou lacks the required experience of managing a big club in Europe’s top leagues.
As a result, Pochettino is the candidate leading the race for the Stamford Bridge post, while Burnley manager Vincent Kompany is also being considered by the club’s hierarchy.
Former Spurs manager Pochettino has held multiple talks with the Blues this past week and is understood to be giving the vacancy serious consideration.
The Argentine has been out of work since leaving his post at Paris Saint Germain last year, and a return to north London – where Spurs are looking for a new manager – appears unlikely.
The Australian is on track to win the Scottish Premiership and won the League Cup this year
While Chelsea have maintained there was no favourite for the job and the hunt was open, Nagelsmann was the preferred candidate of key figures among the Stamford Bridge hierarchy and widely considered to be the most likely to succeed Graham Potter.
However Chelsea, who held detailed face-to-face talks with Nagelsmann last week in which the German impressed, have been keen to carry out a thorough search involving discussions with a number of candidates.
‘To cancel something, you have to say something,’ Nagelsmann told Sky Sport in Germany.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
