Luis Enrique has sent a not so subtle signal to Chelsea after the Blues ruthlessly chopped Liam Rosenior last month.
The Paris Saint Germain boss has long dreamt of managing in the Premier League and with Stamford Bridge on the hunt for yet another new head coach, the stars could finally be aligning.
For now, Calum McFarlane is holding the fort in temporary charge. But behind the scenes, the search for a permanent successor to Rosenior is well underway. And Enrique’s name keeps cropping up.
Back in 2023, the Spaniard opened up about his Premier League itch while speaking to Cadena SER.
“I have a special attraction, I would like to go to England to work,” he admitted. “I follow English football a lot, more than Spanish football.”
At the time, he’d just left the Spain job and played down any immediate move. But he was careful to leave the door slightly ajar, insisting he’d only join a club with genuine ambition.
“I’m not going to go to any team in the Premier League,” he added. “I would like to go to one that has clear options to do important things.”
That last bit could be a problem for Chelsea.
Right now, the Blues sit ninth in the table. They’ve lost six on the spin. Champions League qualification is already a fading dream and there’s a real chance they miss out on Europe altogether. Not exactly the kind of “important things” Enrique was talking about.
Still, the 55 year old hasn’t exactly slammed the door shut.
He’s got one year left on his current deal in Paris, where he led PSG to their first Champions League crown last season. They’re now just one game away from another final after edging Bayern Munich 5-4 in a chaotic first leg.
When asked recently about the summer window, Enrique played it cool: “There will be small adjustments, just like last year. We won’t sign a lot of players.”
Talks over a new contract, one that would keep him in Paris until 2030, are reportedly underway. That would be a blow to Chelsea’s hopes.
But until pen hits paper, the rumour mill won’t stop spinning.
Other names in the frame include Andoni Iraola, who’s set to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season, and Xabi Alonso the Liverpool legend who departed Real Madrid earlier this year.
For now, though, Enrique remains the most tantalising name on the list. The Premier League dream isn’t dead. The question is whether Chelsea can convince him they’re still a club that does “important things.”
