5th January 2026
January 5 – Chelsea’s search for yet another head coach looks to be edging edged towards a conclusion, with Liam Rosenior now firmly front and centre for the position after flying into London for talks that are expected to lead to his appointment.
The Strasbourg manager was meet club executives today, but there is already a sense around Stamford Bridge that this is more a case of fine-tuning than first dates.
It marks the latest dip into the Blue’s talent factory sister club, this time using their French counterparts as a testing ground for a new long term manager.
Rosenior’s rise to pole position came swiftly after Enzo Maresca’s abrupt and awkward departure earlier this month, a split that left plenty of raised eyebrows inside and outside the club. At 41, Rosenior fits the profile Chelsea’s hierarchy have quietly gravitated towards: progressive, composed under pressure and comfortable working within a modern, data-led structure.
Those traits have not gone unnoticed by the board or the sporting directors, who have been tracking his work in Ligue 1 closely.
What complicated matters was not Chelsea’s enthusiasm, but BlueCo’s balancing act. With both Chelsea and Strasbourg under the same ownership umbrella, there was an effort to avoid bulldozing the French club’s season by shifting Rosenior without an apt replacement.
Rosenior was not invited to London until Strasbourg had completed their Ligue 1 fixture against Nice on Saturday.
He travelled alongside Strasbourg president Marc Keller and sporting director David Weir.
Chelsea, for their part, are increasingly comfortable operating within that multi-club framework rather than pretending it doesn’t exist. There is a genuine willingness to collaborate with Strasbourg, both in smoothing Rosenior’s exit and in ensuring the French club are not left exposed.
Chelsea travel to Fulham on Wednesday, and it is unclear whether Rosenior will be in place by then. Interim manager Calum McFarlane oversaw Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City – a respectable result, which should ease the pressure on the club to bring in a long-term manager ahead of Wednesday.
Rosenior was selected from a tight shortlist including Porto’s Francesco Farioli, while Filipe Luís’ name carried obvious romance given his past at Chelsea and his success with Flamengo, including that Club World Cup defeat for the Blues last summer en route to the title.
At Strasbourg, Filipe Coelho and Jean-Marc Kuentz are expected to take interim charge, while longer-term options are already being assessed. Gary O’Neil is among those under consideration, while Minnesota United’s Eric Ramsay has also been monitored, according to reports.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [moc.l1767623644labto1767623644ofdlr1767623644owedi1767623644sni@g1767623644niwe.1767623644yrrah1767623644](javascript:;)