Chelsea chiefs are convinced that a former Bayern Munich boss is the ideal long-term fit to replace Liam Rosenior after speaking to him before.
Three years of BlueCo ownership, five permanent managers, and a hiring structure that senior figures at the club are increasingly being told puts elite candidates off — it is a pattern that shows no sign of breaking.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior
Liam Rosenior became the latest casualty last Wednesday, dismissed after 106 days in charge and five consecutive Premier League defeats without scoring.
Calum McFarlane is back as caretaker for a second time, and the club sit eighth in the table with Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Leeds at Wembley offering a genuine chance at glory.
The search for a permanent successor has already thrown up a range of names.
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It would be a head scratcher.
Andoni Iraola remains prominent — the Bournemouth head coach confirmed his departure from the Vitality Stadium earlier this month and has drawn widespread admiration for the job he has done on the south coast.
Cesc Fàbregas, who has impressed during time as Como boss in Serie A, would command an emotional response from a fanbase increasingly at odds with their own club's direction.
Oliver Glasner, who led Crystal Palace to FA Cup glory last season and is himself leaving Selhurst Park this summer, is another free option.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner looks on before the match
Matthias Jaissle — a 36-year-old Austrian who built his reputation at Red Bull Salzburg before heading to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia — has also emerged as a surprise candidate.
Xabi Alonso has been mentioned, though sources close to the situation suggest he is unlikely to green-light a Stamford Bridge move.
TEAMtalk have reported the one name above all others that BlueCo would consider their "ideal" outcome, and it is a name that will ring a bell for anyone who followed Chelsea's managerial search in 2023.
Chelsea think Julian Nagelsmann is perfect to replace Liam Rosenior
Julian Nagelsmann, the 'elite' Germany national team head coach, is described as the club's dream appointment, a figure who has been on their radar for three years and who is seen internally as the perfect long-term fit for the project.
julian-nagelsmann-germany-wirtz
The history between the two parties is relevant.
When Chelsea sacked Graham Potter in April 2023, the BBC reported that Nagelsmann — who had himself been dismissed by Bayern Munich just days earlier — was the club's number one target.
His agent Volker Struth later confirmed that Chelsea moved quickly, and that conversations did take place.
"Chelsea were quick to call," Struth said at the time.
"He was their number one, that was our information. I believe it would have happened if he had wanted it."
Nagelsmann ultimately walked away over concerns about the club's recruitment model and the level of control he would be afforded, as reported by TEAMtalk.
The practical obstacle now is timing.
Nagelsmann is contracted to lead Germany at the 2026 World Cup, which begins on June 11, with the final scheduled for July 19. Chelsea want someone in place quickly to shape pre-season and transfer planning.
Whether they are prepared to wait, or whether Nagelsmann would even walk away from his national team duties mid-tournament, is far from straightforward.
He has said no once before, and whether Chelsea can finally persuade the Bundesliga winner remains to be seen.
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His future lies elsewhere.