Chelsea shocked the football world by announcing Enzo Maresca’s departure in the early hours of 2026. However, media outlets in England are already pointing to a potential successor, who could arrive from France after an impressive spell in Ligue 1.

Why Would Chelsea Target Liam Rosenior?

Following Maresca’s exit after 549 days in charge, according to Transfermarkt data, The Guardian and the BBC report that one of the leading candidates to take over at Chelsea is English coach Liam Rosenior.

A key factor behind this potential move is that RC Strasbourg is owned by BlueCo, the same ownership group as Chelsea. However, club executives are concerned that appointing Rosenior could negatively impact Strasbourg’s project, as the French side is currently seventh in Ligue 1 and leading the UEFA Conference League.

According to reports, other names under consideration include Xavi Hernández, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, and Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner. What has been ruled out is appointing a high-profile manager such as Zinedine Zidane.

Chelsea, an Unstable Environment for Managers

With just over 500 days in charge, Maresca and Mauricio Pochettino are among the longest-serving managers at Chelsea in recent years.

Under Todd Boehly’s ownership, Chelsea have become the Premier League club with the most managerial changes since 2022, when Roman Abramovich stepped away.

Since then, the club has gone through six different head coaches, including a brief interim spell by Bruno Saltor. The list includes Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor (one match), Frank Lampard, Mauricio Pochettino, and Enzo Maresca.

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