It would be safe to say that BlueCo are under pressure right now. We all know how things have played out for Chelsea. They have failed to qualify for the Champions League in three of four seasons since the takeover. What was once the minimum expectation has not become the ambition. One can only hope that the appointment of Xabi Alonso turns things around for the club.
It is not just Chelsea who are under the BlueCo umbrella though. So are French side Strasbourg. And there finds might be just as unhappy with the ownership.
Results-wise, things have certainly looked good for Strasbourg, from where they were before the takeover. But one can understand the frustration as well. They have become sort of a ‘feeder system’ for Chelsea. Players are constantly sent out on loan there from Stamford Bridge while their best performers are plucked out. The Blues swooping in to appoint Liam Rosenior in January, despite knowing it could derail the French club’s season, might have been the final straw for many of their supporters.
Gary O’Neil was brought in as his replacement. But there have already been rumours that he could be sacked in favour of Filipe Luis, someone who has been on BlueCo’s radar for a while. But unfortunately, it looks like they are set to miss out. It is a different French club he is set to join, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano.
Filipe Luis set to join AS Monaco instead of Strasbourg
According to Romano, AS Monaco have agreed a deal to appoint Luis as their new manager. The impending move has gotten the ‘here we go’ stamp from the Italian journalist.
It is no secret that BlueCo had been keeping an eye on Luis for a while. It had been suggested that they wanted to bring him at Strasbourg.
In the long run, BlueCo might have already had their eye on Luis as a future Chelsea manager as well. Someone who would make that jump when the time was right. But now, that supposed plan appears to have been derailed as he is set to join AS Monaco instead.
Could Luis be a future Chelsea manager?
It is not hard to understand why Luis might have preferred AS Monaco over Strasbourg. There simply appears to be a ceiling at the latter club.
When your players perform well, they inevitably end up joining Chelsea. The Blues are already believed to have a deal in place to bring in both Emmanuel Emegha and Valentin Barco this summer. And all of this despite the fan dissatisfaction at Strasbourg.
So, AS Monaco might be a better place for Luis if he wants to compete for titles and establish himself as one of the top managers in Europe.
Obviously, there would be a route to Chelsea if he had joined Strasbourg. But if he does well at AS Monaco, he will have a lot more options. And he might want them as well.
The reality of the matter is that it is unclear when the Chelsea job will open up next. Alonso is arriving this summer and the best-case scenario would be for him to build a dynasty at the club. Is that even realistic under BlueCo ownership? We will find out soon.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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