Chelsea's next manager: Analysing Iraola, Silva, Glasner, Fabregas and more

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It is a precarious ride: Liam Rosenior lasted just 107 days before his dismissal on Wednesday, and since Jose Mourinho was sacked after his first Chelsea spell in 2007, no head coach has survived more than three full years at Stamford Bridge. Despite that instability, it remains a coveted role and there will be no shortage of eager applicants, with seven or eight names being considered by Chelsea. But who would suit their squad squad best? Here, The Athletic runs through a list of candidates, ranging from dream appointments, realistic contenders and club legends. A high-flying manager with an attractive brand of football and a wealth of Premier League experience? Oh, and he is also out of contract at the end of the season and leaving his current club. Opportunities like Andoni Iraola rarely present themselves on the managerial market, and the Basque coach is understood be in the Chelsea hierarchy’s thinking. Iraola has moulded Bournemouth into one of the most front-footed, aggressive teams in the league. Since he took charge in 2023-24, no side has recorded more shot-ending turnovers than the 141 recorded by Bournemouth, evidence of their high-pressing approach. The good news for Chelsea is that they rank second on that list with 130, suggesting that this young squad is well-equipped to match his exacting demands, even if they looked exhausted during their 3-0 humbling by Brighton on Tuesday night. Bournemouth’s strong showing this season, sitting one point ahead of Chelsea in seventh, is all the more impressive given last summer’s upheaval. A consequence of Iraola’s ability to rapidly improve young players is that those stars are then picked off by bigger clubs. They lost key defenders Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez to Real Madrid and Liverpool respectively, while star forward Antoine Semenyo was signed by Manchester City in January. The graphic below shows how the share of playing minutes of each Premier League squad has shifted from last season, with only Sunderland being more volatile than Bournemouth, whose allocation of minutes has changed by 63.5 per cent. Chelsea have become renowned for their squad churn under BlueCo, buying and selling a dizzying cast of young prospects. Managing this volatility is one of the toughest demands of the job, but Iraola has shown that he can quickly integrate new recruits into his system. If it is Premier League experience that Chelsea want, then there are two further managers due to be available, with both showing a penchant for punching above their weight. The first option is on Chelsea’s doorstep, with Marco Silva out of contract at Fulham this summer after five years at the club. A pragmatic pair of hands is not to be underestimated when considering Chelsea’s ongoing upheaval, with Silva showing the value of continuous growth when given the opportunity to build a coherent team. Silva may lack silverware on his CV, but he has shown that he can adapt to the qualities of the players he has at his disposal, with last season’s league campaign — built on a foundation of strong wide play and crosses — being the highest points tally that Fulham have achieved in the Premier League era. In south London, Oliver Glasner is ready for a new chapter, and plenty of clubs would be justified in queuing up for his services. Not only did he win the FA Cup with Crystal Palace — having previously claimed the Europa League at Eintracht Frankfurt — but Glasner has shown he can handle the rigours of the Premier League and has consistently shown he can set up a team to compete with anyone within his 3-4-2-1 setup. Incidentally, Glasner is not overly wedded to that system and played with a back four during his time coaching in Germany. Still, his principles are based on fast, direct attacks that spring forward from a mid-block with a strong balance between attack and defence, which cannot be underestimated at Chelsea. The only issue could be his habit of clashing with the hierarchies at his clubs and a marked reluctance to bite his tongue in press conferences. Adding another volatile character to Chelsea, always a combustible club, could be risky. Most clubs in Europe would have Xabi Alonso on their shortlist of head coach candidates, so why should Chelsea be any different? The 44-year-old, who shares an agent with Iraola, has been out of work since being sacked by Real Madrid in January. His time in Spain may not have been happy, but at least it has prepared him to navigate the boardroom and the dressing room simultaneously. On the pitch, Alonso has the skill set to take a team to the top of European football with his possession-dominant, high-tempo style. The 44-year-old was known for his dynamic 3-4-2-1 system during his time at Bayer Leverkusen, but was more inclined to tweak things during his time at Madrid to get the best out of his squad. Irrespective of the formation on paper, the system would often still resemble the shape of many elite teams in recent years, with a midfielder dropping between the centre-backs, advanced full-backs, and a box midfield to control central spaces. With one or two additions, Chelsea have the profile of players to suit Alonso’s style of play. While his stock fell slightly after his Madrid experience, Alonso is still very highly rated, having guided Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in 2024. It remains to be seen whether Chelsea could secure his services, given he could be in demand elsewhere. Having managed Chelsea twice already, Frank Lampard has already navigated the choppy “never go back” coaching waters, with the more scenic “third time’s the charm” up ahead. The stabilising influence of a club legend should not be underestimated, as evidenced by Manchester United’s strong form since Michael Carrick took over. Lampard would — however briefly — unify a disenchanted fanbase and has significantly bolstered his managerial credentials at Coventry City this season. Of the managers on this list, Lampard is less wedded to a single defining style and has instead engineered Coventry’s promotion through a more adaptable approach. The graphic below shows that they sit close to the Championship median for direct speed — a measure of how quickly a side moves the ball upfield — and for passes per sequence. Chelsea are a squad that are completely shorn of confidence. Rather than radical, sweeping tactical changes, Lampard’s more measured, light-touch style might better suit a squad that needs to be built back up. Cesc Fabregas is one of the hottest properties on the managerial circuit right now. Currently in the dugout at Como in north-west Italy, he has been afforded almost total freedom to implement his easy-on-the-eye style, in part due to his status as a part-owner of the Serie A side. That might mean he is an unlikely option for Chelsea. Fabregas is a graduate of Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, which prides itself on producing technical players, and was mentored by Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger during his playing career, coaches renowned for their attractive football. Como boast the highest possession figure in Serie A (61.3 per cent), while their passes per defensive action figure of 9.1 is bettered only by Barcelona and PSG in Europe’s top-five leagues, underlining his commitment to the counter-pressing, ball-playing style popularised by Guardiola. But that playing career included five seasons at Chelsea, where he won two Premier Leagues under more pragmatic managers, first in 2014-15 with Jose Mourinho, and then again in 2016-17 under Antonio Conte. He has woven those influences into his approach, too. Como have the second-best defensive record in Serie A and have created the most expected goals from direct attacks (7.8). There is also evidence that Fabregas has embraced the set-piece revolution, with his side averaging 5.6 xG per 100 set pieces, the highest in the league. If they could tempt him to join, Chelsea would have a coach with the rare ability to juggle high-minded footballing principles with a gritty win-at-all-costs mentality, and a ready-made connection with the fans. Continuing the theme of former Chelsea players as talented young coaches, Flamengo’s Filipe Luis has gained plenty of admirers for his recent work in Brazil. Having worked with some of the greatest managers in Europe as a player — including Jose Mourinho, Diego Simeone and Luis Aragones — Luis has crafted his own path since becoming a head coach barely two years ago. Flamengo are similar to Chelsea in having a demanding fanbase, but Luis has taken things in his stride — winning the Brazilian Serie A and Copa Libertadores in 2025. As a further barometer of his credentials, Flamengo beat Chelsea in last summer’s Club World Cup, albeit with an Enzo Maresca side who experimented with a 4-2-2-2 with little success. The connections with Chelsea make Luis an obvious candidate, but his links to the vacant role run much further. The 40-year-old is a deep thinker, a hard worker, and can provide the grit and determination to push a team to victory. With Chelsea in desperate need of a cool head amidst the chaos, Luis has shown signs he could be the one to provide it. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms