Kieran McKenna is one of the front-runners to take over as the new Chelsea manager following Mauricio Pochettino’s departure.
According to a report from The Guardian, Chelsea are looking to appoint Kieran McKenna as their new boss ahead of next season. The Blues have mutually agreed to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino, and the Ipswich Town manager is quite high on their wishlist as a potential replacement.
Despite spending millions on player transfers, things were not really going according to plan for the West London club. They decided to appoint Mauricio Pochettino last summer with the hope that he could bring in some stability and help revive the club.
Chelsea and Pochettino part ways
Unfortunately, things have not gone according to plan. The Blues did not have the best of starts to the season and despite the late flurry, they have only managed to finish sixth. While they did showcase signs of progress under the Argentine boss in the final weeks of the season and quite a few players wanted Pochettino to continue at the club, Chelsea have decided to end his stay.
The former Tottenham manager was involved in talks with co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, and the co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali over two days. On the back of those meetings, both parties have mutually decided to part ways.
This decision has come mainly because of the difference in opinion between those who run the club and the manager. Pochettino wanted more control over transfer decisions and was keen on adding experienced players to the mix. But, the Blues have different ideas.
The West London club have been on the lookout for a potential replacement for quite a while now. With Pochettino’s departure now confirmed, they are all set to intensify their efforts and according to the report, Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna is the leading candidate for the job.
McKenna is at the top of Chelsea’s wishlist
McKenna was the assistant manager at Manchester United back in the day before he joined Ipswich Town towards the end of 2021 to become their manager. He has done wonders at the club, helping them return to the Premier League after 22 years.
The back-to-back promotions earned under his guidance have resulted in a lot of interest, and Chelsea feel he could be an ideal fit for them. The Blues have been in talks with the 38-year-old manager’s representatives for weeks now as they look to convince him about their project.
They want to have a young manager, someone who has a progressive approach and is willing to buy into their way of working. Chelsea feel McKenna is an ideal candidate. But the West Londoners will face stiff competition for his signature as he is also on the wishlist of Manchester United.
The Red Devils want to bring him back to the club as their manager amidst uncertainty over Erik ten Hag’s future. If Manchester United do end up parting ways with the Dutch manager, they could push hard to bring McKenna back to the club.
