Maresca left his position at Chelsea today and there is understandably a lot of speculation about who could be next for the Blues.
One of the main names linked for already being a BlueCo employee is Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior, who is highly rated at Stamford Bridge, according to Fabrizio Romano in his X-post below…
?? Chelsea will appoint a new manager very soon, which won’t take weeks or a long time. The club is working on it now.
Liam Rosenior, highly rated internally after excellent work in Strasbourg, as he is one of the contenders.
The decision will be made within days and will not take long. ? pic.twitter.com/WefPgy7z7J
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 1, 2026
However, there may be other names to look at, with the Daily mail report that Cherries boss Iraola is also a candidate on Chelsea’s list.
Andoni Iraola ticks all the boxes for Chelsea
Iraola has done a hugely impressive job at Bournemouth, working well with a limited budget to play an attractive brand of football with a number of talented young players.
All in all, that sounds like exactly what the Chelsea board are looking for, with Jamie Redknapp highlighting below why he currently considers the Spanish tactician one of the best managers in the world, who could be at home at any top club…
“I think he can manage any team in world football”?
Jamie Redknapp says Bournemouth should enjoy Andoni Iraola while he’s at the club? pic.twitter.com/qGLSWKPrK4
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 3, 2025
Bournemouth drew with Chelsea in their Premier League match earlier this week, and it will certainly be interesting to see if he returns to West London soon.
It seems only a matter of time before Iraola joins a bigger club as the 43-year-old has also been linked by Manchester United TEAMtalk and others.
| Andoni Iraola in Bournemouth | 107 games |
| wins | 39 |
| Pulls | 29 |
| To lose | 39 |
Next Chelsea manager – other names to watch
Iraola and Rosenior certainly won’t be the only names being considered by CFC, with the Mail also mentioning Marseille boss Roberto de Zerbi.
Elsewhere, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if impressive Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner were also in contention, or a big name currently out of work such as ex-Barcelona boss Xavi.
For now, however, the main names appear to be Rosenior and Iraola, with the former probably more likely.
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