'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It has been a very strange season for Chelsea under the management of Maurizio Sarri.
The Blues started the season in fine form and were unbeaten in their opening 12 league games of the season. Things quickly turned though, and a series of poor results over the winter months, coupled with what the fans saw as a conservative style of football, meant that the pressure grew on Sarri.
There were a number of occasions where it seemed possible that he would lose his job mid-season, particularly after the 6-0 defeat away at Manchester City, and loss to the same opposition in the Carabao Cup Final, though this time down to a very public fallout with Kepa Arrizabalaga.
However, results picked up in the final weeks of the season, and Chelsea finished third behind only Manchester City and Liverpool. They also won the Europa League, beating Arsenal 4-1 in the final, securing Sarri’s first major trophy.
It may not be enough for Sarri however, who looks set to return to Italy to take the Juventus job, replacing Massimiliano Allegri. There will be mixed views on this, as there was a lot of debate over the style of play employed by Sarri, but having qualified for the Champions League, won the Europa League, and reached another cup final, he did bring success to the club.
Thoughts will now turn to Sarri’s replacement, and it is certainly a key appointment for Chelsea. They still have a transfer ban in place for the summer, so whoever comes in will have to make do with what he has at Stamford Bridge. Here are five men who could replace Sarri this summer.
#1 Jose Mourinho
It may seem very unlikely, but there is a chance that Mourinho could return for his third spell in charge of Chelsea. The self-proclaimed Special One first joined Chelsea from Porto in 2004, and he was at the helm as Chelsea began to establish themselves as one of the powers of English football. He won two Premier League titles during his first period in charge and won his third in 2015, two years after returning to the club.
Mourinho’s stock has fallen over the last couple of years, in particular after he was sacked by Manchester United in December. It would be a real shock to see him return to Chelsea, especially after the way his relationship with the senior figures at the club deteriorated in his final weeks at Stamford Bridge in December 2015.
He is also someone who hasn’t been known to bring through young players, and with their transfer ban in place, he probably isn’t the man to do that.
#2 Javi Gracia
Gracia may not seem like the obvious choice, given that he isn’t the biggest name, and he hasn’t got the experience of managing at big clubs, but he has done an excellent job managing Watford this season. He helped the Hornets, who were tipped by many to struggle at the bottom of the league, to 11th, as well as reaching the FA Cup Final, where they were beaten by Manchester City.
He has been a little bit of a journeyman in his time in management, taking charge of sides in Greece, Spain, Russia and now England. Last season, he got the best out of a Watford side that had struggled in previous seasons, especially in the second half of the campaign. He does play a more attacking brand of football than Sarri, something that will certainly appeal to the Chelsea fans.
#3 Nuno Espirito Santo
Nuno is another man who has gained experience of working in the Premier League over the past 12 months. Like Gracia, he had an excellent first full season in the division, helping Wolves qualify for the Europa League by finishing seventh, the first they have qualified for European football since 1980.
He does have the experience of managing Porto between 2016 and 2017, the club where former Chelsea managers Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas-Boas also spent the early parts of their managerial career.
Nuno has shown at Wolves that he likes to play a system with three at the back, which may not be particularly best suited to Chelsea at this time given the players in their squad, so he would have to adapt if he took the job at Stamford Bridge. Having now spent two seasons in England, he now understands the English game, and he showed that he was more than capable of getting results against the big sides last season.
#4 Frank Lampard
At this point, Lampard looks like being the obvious choice for Chelsea if Sarri leaves for Juventus. The 40-year-old is one of the greatest players to have played for the Blues, and is also their all-time leading goalscorer, scoring 211 goals for the club in his 15 years there. While at Chelsea, he won the Premier League on three occasions, the FA Cup four times, and the Champions League in 2012, the only time they have ever won the competition.
The only issue for Lampard is that this may have come too early in his managerial career. He has had just the single season in charge of Championship side Derby County, and although it has gone very well, it is a huge leap to take to go straight to managing Chelsea.
Of course, Lampard knows the club and will be prepared to bring through young players from the academy, but he may not have the managerial experience needed yet to really succeed at Stamford Bridge, and at this point, he may be appointed solely because of what he achieved as a player.
#5 Massimiliano Allegri
It may be the case that as Sarri goes one way to Juventus, Allegri goes the other to Stamford Bridge. The Italian has enjoyed nothing but success in his time with Juve, winning the Serie A title in each of his five seasons in charge of the club.
He has built one of the finest squads in Europe, and the only blot on his copybook is his failure to win the Champions League, though he did finish as runner up twice, first to Barcelona in 2015, and then to Real Madrid in 2017.
He has been linked with a move to Chelsea before but has always been overlooked when the hot seat came available at Stamford Bridge. The problem with any manager who takes over at Chelsea will be that they have to work with what’s already there because of their transfer ban. Allegri may want to bring players who suit his style to Chelsea if he takes over, and he may feel now is not the best time for him.
