Chelsea to appoint ex-Barcelona coach as next manager?

Chelsea have reportedly switched their attention to ex-Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique after witnessing their pursuit of Maurizio Sarri reach a standstill. The Blues are expected to appoint a new manager in the coming days with current boss Antonio Conte tipped to be dismissed.

According to Sport, the Blues have turned their focus towards Enrique after failing to convince Napoli into releasing Sarri. The 59-year-old has obviously been earmarked as the prime target for the head coach role but Napoli president Aurelio di Laurentiis has made it clear that any suitor will have to pay a £7m compensation package for the Italian.

As such, the west London giants have entered negotiations with Enrique and Sport suggest that the 47-year-old could be appointed as their next manager in the next few days. Aside from Enrique, Laurent Blanc has also been linked with the managerial post. The Frenchman is said to be desperate for a return to coaching after being out of work since his Paris Saint-Germain dismissal in 2016.