Chelsea make Julian Nagelsmann decision amid impressive Luis Enrique interview for head coach vacancy

Julian Nagelsmann will become the second manager to meet Chelsea for face-to-face talks over the club’s head coach vacancy, according to reports. 

After the sacking of Graham Potter earlier this month, Chelsea opted to appoint Frank Lampard on a caretaker basis until the end of the season while they search for their next permanent manager.

Co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali confirmed the process, which is being led by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, will be ‘exhaustive and thorough’ to ensure they get the best possible replacement for Potter. 

Since taking over in May 2022, the Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership are searching for their third permanent head coach following September’s sacking of Thomas Tuchel. 

Many names have been linked with the vacancy at Stamford Bridge, including Luis Enrique and Nagelsmann.

After being sacked from Bayern Munich, Nagelsmann preference was to take a break until the summer before returning to manager even though he is open to taking the Chelsea job. 

Enrique has been heavily linked and impressed during face-to-face talks in London last week, according to reports.

Nagelsmann is yet to meet the Chelsea hierarchy but, as reported by BILD, the German will now meet Boehly and Co for extended talks.

With Lampard taking over until the end of the season, Chelsea are wanting to get an appointment secured ahead of pre-season, which will see them tour the United States once again.

Fixtures against Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United and Fulham between July 22 and July 30, with a fixture against non-league side Wrexham AFC also being rumoured although no announcement has yet been made.

Chelsea have eight Premier League games remaining this term, as well as the second leg against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals next week.

With the Blues currently occupying 11th place in the Premier League, it is looking increasingly unlikely that they will be involved in European action next season.

Whether or not this hinders their next managerial appointment remains unclear, but Chelsea are firmly interested in both Enrique and Nagelsmann, and they are now taking the search to the next step by holding further talks with the former Bayern Munich manager, who has also dismissed interest from Spurs. 

Although Lampard is only in temporary charge of Chelsea, he hasn’t fully ruled himself out of the running and insists he is just focused on taking it game by game rather than looking beyond this summer regarding his future.