Chelsea have held talks with Sporting’s Rúben Amorim as they continue their search for their next permanent manager.
Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique have been touted as the early frontrunners for the vacancy at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea are determined not to act hastily following the abrupt dismissal of Graham Potter. Appointing Frank Lampard as interim head coach until the end of the season has given them time to make a considered decision and they have already spoken to at least four candidates on their shortlist.
One of the managers identified as a potential replacement for Potter is Amorim, who has earned a reputation as one of the brightest young coaching talents in Europe. The 38-year-old won the Portuguese title with Sporting in 2021 and has helped them impress in Europe this season. The Portuguese club beat Tottenham in the group stage of the Champions League and, despite failing to reach the last 16, did enough to earn a spot in the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Sporting have continued to sparkle in Europe, troubling Premier League opposition again when they knocked Arsenal out of the last 16 of the Europa League last month. They have a chance of reaching the last four despite losing 1-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final away to Juventus on Thursday.
There is no indication that Amorim is the favoured choice of Chelsea’s ownership. Equally he will have to be convinced that moving to Chelsea would represent the best move for his career. Amorim, whose contract contains a large buyout clause, has said that he will choose his next job carefully.
Chelsea have previously held talks with Enrique and have made contact with Nagelsmann’s representatives. Nagelsmann is admired by Behdad Eghbali, Chelsea’s co-owner. But while the 35-year-old German is interested in moving to the Premier League following his sacking by Bayern Munich there is no guarantee he will land the job.
Nagelsmann is also wanted by Tottenham. Chelsea, who are also monitoring Mauricio Pochettino, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Oliver Glasner and Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso, will need to move quickly. Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain could be looking for new managers this summer.