Chelsea to interview Enzo Maresca as new manager search hots up

Chelsea may have to beat Manchester United and Brighton to the punch to land their new manager, with all three tussling for some of the same candidates.

Ipswich's Kieran McKenna is wanted by the Premier League rivals, while Chelsea and United retain interest in Brentford's Thomas Frank. Chelsea will also interview Leicester's Enzo Maresca for the hot seat vacated by Mauricio Pochettino on Tuesday night.

Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim and former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi are in Chelsea's thoughts, amid a very open hunt.

The Blues are determined to challenge targets to prove themselves at interview, but are also mindful of the strong competition from rival clubs.

Brighton had the early jump on contact with McKenna, as De Zerbi departed before Pochettino. The Blues have moved quickly to contact all their main options, however, as the new-manager battle hots up.

United continue to weigh up whether to sack Erik ten Hag and have made moves behind the scenes on possible replacements, despite preparing for tomorrow's FA Cup Final.

United have former assistant coach McKenna on their putative shortlist, the 38-year-old still revelling in steering Ipswich into next season's Premier League.

United are understood to have former Chelsea coaches Thomas Tuchel and Pochettino strongly on their radar, as well as Frank, another of the Blues' targets.

Chelsea's new owners are determined to snare the next big thing in coaching and help steer that eventual manager to the top.

Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano were taken with Sporting's Amorim when appointing Graham Potter in September 2022. The leadership triumvirate still hold Amorim in the highest esteem, but prising him away could prove prohibitive.

Former Manchester City assistant coach Maresca has led Leicester to the Championship title. Chelsea believe he fits the progressive, upwardly mobile coaching mould they crave, leaving the 44-year-old a credible option.