Julian Nagelsmann has decided not to join Chelsea next season, multiple sources, including Fabrizio Romano, have confirmed. The German coach was one of the top candidates at Chelsea for next season, but after a few talks between the two parties, Nagelsmann decided to pull the plug on the negotiations. Former Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino has now been put forward as the main candidate.
Nagelsmann was fired from Bayern Munich in early April because of the bad relationship the trainer maintained with the board and various players in the squad. Following his departure, he was quickly linked with a move to Chelsea, who themselves sacked Graham Potter. Nagelsmann went to talk to the Londoners, but after those conversations, the German boss concluded that the vision of the club and himself would be too far apart.
Nagelsmann’s cancellation is the third setback for Chelsea in a short time. Previously, Sporting Portugal coach Ruben Amorim was said to have refused the chance of a job in London, while former FC Barcelona coach Luis Enrique was no longer willing to negotiate after Chelsea decided to appoint Frank Lampard as caretaker until the end of the season. Nagelsmann was the top favorite to join Chelsea in the summer, but now the Blues see three important candidates drop out in one week.
And that could be in favor of Pochettino. The Argentinian is without a club after being sacked from Paris Saint-Germain last season and the former Spurs coach is keen to return to a Premier League club. Tottenham, who recently fired Antonio Conte, would also be interested in a renewed collaboration with Pochettino, but according to Romano, the manager would prefer a contract with Chelsea.
