Chelsea are reportedly set to meet Xavi Hernandez after his departure as Barcelona head coach, with Ipswich Town boss, Kieran McKenna out of running.
Mauricio Pochettino was fired by the Blues last week, despite the team’s successful end to the campaign.
Despite spending a large portion of the season in mid-table, the London club qualified for Europe as they ended up as the fourth-best team in the Premier League after the turn of the year.
The decision has been further complicated by the lackluster group of contenders vying to succeed Pochettino.
McKenna, the manager of Ipswich, became the front-runner very quickly. But according to a report published on Sunday night by David Ornstein of The Athletic, he is no longer in the running.
Although Enzo Maresca of Leicester City and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are reportedly the current favorites, the bookies believe it will be former Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi.
According to Football 365, Xavi, who declared he would leave Barcelona in January, is now a surprise contender. A strong run of form prompted the Catalan club to make a U-turn. But a challenging finish to the season caused another U-turn.
The official final game for the Spaniard was a 2-1 victory away to Sevilla on Sunday.
According to reports, former manager Bayern Munich and Germany boss, Hansi Flick will take Xavi’s place. An announcement is anticipated shortly.
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Now that Xavi is without employment, there have been rumors of a surprise move to Chelsea, where the 44-year-old is supposedly being considered for a position.
There will be discussions between Xavi and the Blues regarding “the possibility of him becoming their new head coach,” according to reports that surfaced over the weekend.
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