The Blues' new hierarchy once again find themselves on the hunt for a new manager, and one outstanding candidate is already dominating the headlines
Having prematurely pulled the plug on their so-called long-term Graham Potter project, Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali find themselves searching for their third manager of the 2022-23 season.
They are planning to interview as many as five potential candidates, including Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique, but one name stands out from the usual rabble of managers linked with each top job: Julian Nagelsmann.
Ironically, the German tactician finds himself out of a job because, among other reasons, Bayern Munich did not want to pass up the opportunity to finally hire former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel. Football, eh.
🏆 TOP STORY: Messi to leave PSG unless he accepts pay cut📣 HAVE YOUR SAY: Should Chelsea appoint Nagelsmann?🚨 MUST READ: Why Chelsea will regret firing Potter
Though it has been denied that Chelsea's dismissal of Potter was at least in part motivated by Nagelsmann's sudden and serendipitous availability, that is hard to believe.
While Boehly and Eghbali are said to have some concern over his tender age of 35, the chance to bring in an elite coach who could provide the longevity they crave may prove too good an opportunity to ignore.
But is he the right fit for the struggling Blues?
Getty ImagesAn attacking, front-footed style
Nagelsmann's reputation burgeoned in Germany before his move to Bayern thanks in no small part to his front-footed, attacking style of play.
An admirer of Pep Guardiola's methods, he prefers a 4-2-3-1 shape that has brought the best out of a host of forward players in his time as a coach.
Deploying a possession-based approach and an aggressive counter-press without the ball, the 35-year-old was a serial overachiever as he guided both Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig into the Champions League, reaching the semi-finals with the latter long before they were established regulars in the competition.
Chelsea play their best football in a 3-4-3 formation that unleashes Reece James as a wing-back, and as luck would have it, Nagelsmann experimented with a back three in the latter days of his Bayern tenure.
Although he had varying degrees of success, it was in that shape that Die Roten earned a 1-0 win away at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16 first leg – a performance that was hailed as a tactical masterclass.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesA skilled man-manager – but not always
While Nagelsmann's youth is apparently a concern for Chelsea's owners, he has astutely used it to his advantage in the dressing rooms he has graced.
His closeness in age to the players means he has been seen more as an older brother figure rather than a boss or temperamental father, and he works to ensure he is a disarming and relatable presence.
A number of players, including imminent Chelsea signing Christopher Nkunku, have taken huge strides forward under his stewardship.
However, at Bayern Munich he is said to have had less success with that approach, failing to win over and sometimes clashing with the club's senior players, who are more or less the same age as him – most notably Manuel Neuer after he ruthlessly sacked his goalkeeping coach and close friend Toni Tapalovic.
Chelsea have a much younger, less experienced squad, so he would hope to avoid similar issues at Stamford Bridge.
Getty ImagesHe's no Mr Nice Guy
One criticism often levelled at now-former Chelsea manager Potter was that he was simply too nice to command respect and was like a broken record when faced by the media.
Nagelsmann is the antithesis of that. e has gotten himself into trouble in the past with his barbed press conferences, while also possessing a Mourinho-esque charm.
GOAL Germany's Jochen Tittmar explains: "In Germany, he always offends with brash statements, whether at press conferences or before and after games on TV. Certainly not every witty statement is a hit, but he is actually very clear in his statements and has always been so.
"In April 2022, before the match against Borussia Dortmund, he said about the motivation of his team: 'We're not with the volunteer fire department Sud-Giesing (a district of Munich), but with FC Bayern Munich.' The fire department then felt attacked and discredited, so Nagelsmann actually had to apologise and also visited the fire department to rebuild bridges."
These are actually traits that will appeal to the Chelsea faithful, who never actually warmed to 'nice guy' Potter. The man in the Stamford Bridge dugout seemingly needs to have a nasty edge.
Getty'Complex' training routines
Robert Lewandowski was another player who clashed with Nagelsmann before his eventual departure to Barcelona, and one reason behind that was the coach's training regime.
"As a coach, Nagelsmann, like Tuchel, is considered a tactics tinkerer who comes up with many complex forms of training," Tittmar adds. "It was said, for example, that Lewandowski's training sessions under Nagelsmann were too complex and he complained about it."
Once again, Chelsea's more youthful squad is likely to be more malleable and open to change, enabling a tactician who is similarly meticulous to Tuchel to implement his reputedly outside-the-box ideas.