Chelsea’s next manager update: Odds slashed further as ex-Blue emerges among favourites
Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior is the clear favourite to take charge of Chelsea following the departure of Enzo Maresca.
In a shocking development, Maresca and Chelsea parted ways on Thursday, with the relationship behind the scenes having deteriorated significantly.
The Italian publicly spoke about his disgruntlement with the board’s behaviour in December, but few would have imagined that he would be leaving before the end of the season.
Rosenior is the leading candidate to take charge of Chelsea, with his exploits at Strasbourg not having gone unnoticed by decision-makers at Stamford Bridge.
Football Insider revealed on Friday that Chelsea have sounded out Eddie Howe, who has been under pressure at Newcastle United this season.
Odds shorten further on next Chelsea boss
Maresca is the fourth manager to leave Chelsea under the ownership of BlueCo, and certainly the most surprising.
The Italian enjoyed a dream first season at Stamford Bridge. There were difficult times, of course, but the Blues had won both the Conference League and the Club World Cup by the end of the campaign.
Champions League qualification had also been secured, and, with a strong summer transfer window, fans hoped they could be set for another exciting season.
But the window left a lot to be desired, and the problems it left have become apparent for Chelsea over the last two months.
The Blues lack strength in the centre of defence following the injury to Levi Colwill, and it has become increasingly clear that decision-makers are prioritising signings for the future, rather than the present.
Whoever is to be the next Chelsea manager will have many of the same issues to deal with, and, despite Rosenior‘s clear lead in the race, several interesting names have emerged.
Former Chelsea defender Filipe Luis has been handed 6/1 odds of taking over, with Andoni Iraola (16/1) and Gareth Southgate (16/1) also following Rosenior (1/20), according to one major bookmaker.
Why has Filipe Luis been named in Chelsea race?
Just over 10 years ago, Luis was playing for Chelsea after arriving from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth around £16million.
He signed a three-year deal, but would be back at Atletico after just one difficult year in the Premier League.
Luis only took his first steps into youth management in 2024, and would be named first-team manager of Flamengo later in the same year.
There, the former Brazil international has made a stunning impact. He led his team to the Copa do Brasil title in 2024, before winning the 2025 Copa Libertadores.
Luis’ contract at Flamengo has now been extended to 2027, presumably amid potential interest from Chelsea.