Julian Nagelsmann has withdrawn from the race to become Chelsea’s head coach after several rounds of talks. Agreement was not reached on certain points and the decision of the former Bayern Munich manager, who had been the top candidate, appears to be final.
Luis Enrique is also out of the running but Mauricio Pochettino remains in contention and Burnley’s Vincent Kompany is also understood to be among the final names under consideration. Chelsea are taking their time with the process after appointing Frank Lampard as interim manager until the end of the season.
Kompany, a former Manchester City captain, is in his second job in management after an unsuccessful spell at Anderlecht in Belgium, and has led the club to an immediate Premier League return. A win at home to QPR on Saturday would guarantee the Championship title.
Pochettino, a former Tottenham manager, is out of work after leaving Paris Saint-Germain last July. The initial process at Chelsea is being conducted by the co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.