With several Premier League jobs up for grabs in the summer, the managerial carousel is ready to start spinning again.Â
Every year we head coaches come and go, often replaced by the same coterie of names who have been here, done that in the past. But there is also always the potential for exciting, new figures to enter the fray.
We’re taking a good look at the openings that have emerged in the top flight and how a decision by one club could affect others. The dominoes are already in place, but who will knock the first one over?
The Premier League managerial carousel
Let’s start with English football’s great soap opera, Chelsea. While the Blues have been poor on the pitch this season, they have been a never-ending source of off-field entertainment throughout, the highlight of which has to be Marc Cucurella’s barber leaking team news on social media.
Chelsea have already parted ways with two head coaches this year, with Liam Rosenior getting the sack in April just three months after he replaced Enzo Maresca. Ill-discipline and disharmony has been a major issue inside the dressing room, so it makes sense that the club would look towards someone who could command immediate respect and deal with the various egos in the team.
It’s kind of funny, then, that Chelsea have reportedly initiated talks with Xabi Alonso, a man who received no respect from the players and could not manage the superstar egos in his last job. In fairness, the Real Madrid job looks like an impossible one given the current situation at that club, but more on that later.
It was almost assumed as fact that Alonso would end up replacing Arne Slot at Liverpool. It just made too much sense; a former Red beloved by fans, with pedigree as a top coach following his success with Bayer Leverkusen, returning to turn around the club’s fortunes after a disappointing campaign. But reports suggest Slot will stay put after all, opening the door for Chelsea to take him for themselves.
That said, Alonso isn’t the only candidate to take the reins at Stamford Bridge. Andoni Iraola has apparently been contacted about the vacancy as he prepares to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season. The Cherries have already sorted a replacement, agreeing a three-year deal with Marco Rose.
Iraola’s future, though, is not sorted. He has insisted he does not have his next job lined up. It seemed all lined up for him to make an emotional return to Athletic Club, where he spent 12 years as a player, but Edin Terzic will take charge instead.
So where will the Basque native end up? He will have no shortage of suitors, that’s for sure. Manchester United have been linked, but there has been a notable dearth of reports about potential candidates coming out of Old Trafford in recent weeks, just as Michael Carrick’s case to get the job on a permanent basis has grown. The former midfielder may have already passed Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s audition.
Surprisingly, Iraola could be on his way to south London. Crystal Palace are reportedly willing to throw a lucrative offer his way to convince him to come to Selhurst Park, although that feels like a very sideways move. Oliver Glasner will be the one to make way for him if Iraola does agree to join the Eagles, after the German coach announced he will leave at the end of the season. His future is similarly unknown, though he has been linked with United as well.
Another manager whose contract is expiring this summer is Marco Silva, but we still don’t know if he will actually be leaving Craven Cottage. Fulham have tabled a new deal but he is yet to give an answer. Chelsea have put him on their shortlist of candidates, but Benfica is looking an increasingly likely destination for the Portuguese tactician.
“But wait, doesn’t Benfica already have a manager?” I hear you ask. Jose Mourinho has all but signed on the dotted line for Real Madrid, whose president, Florentino Perez, is eager to bring the Special One back to the Bernabeu.
Perez evidently feels that Mourinho is the right man to whip Real’s delinquent squad into shape, but the move is bonkers on a number of levels. The glaring one being that we are only a couple of months removed from Mourinho blaming Vinicius Junior for being on the receiving end of alleged racist abuse from one of the Benfica players.
This has the makings of a powder keg ready to blow in the messiest way possible.
Read – The longest active unbeaten runs across Europe’s top five leagues
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