Ange Postecoglou becomes a candidate for the Chelsea position?
Ange Postecoglou, the head coach of Celtic, has apparently emerged as a contender to succeed Antonio Conte as Chelsea manager in 2023–24.
The Blues are actively looking for a long-term replacement for Graham Potter, whose brief administration came to an end earlier this month when he was fired.
The Blues' co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali committed to a long-term project with Potter, but action was taken as a result of a worrying run of results that saw the team drop into the bottom half of the Premier League standings.
As they hold discussions with potential candidates, Chelsea decided to re-hire Frank Lampard as their permanent head coach for the remaining weeks of the season.
After holding constructive discussions with directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, former Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann was thought to be the overwhelming favourite to take the Stamford Bridge position. However, the 35-year-old is now believed to have dropped out of the running.
Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly gone to the top of Chelsea's shortlist following Nagelsmann's unexpected departure, with Luis Enrique and Vincent Kompany also being considered.
Additionally, the Evening Standard adds that Celtic manager Postecoglou has emerged as an outside candidate for the position and is appreciated by the Chelsea hierarchy.
The 57-year-old's first managerial venture in Europe with Celtic has been a complete success; during his inaugural season last season, Celtic won both the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup.
The Bhoys have already won the latter tournament this year as well, and they currently lead Rangers by 13 points in the Scottish Premiership standings as a result of an incredible season of offensive supremacy.
Celtic have won 30, drawn 2, and lost just one of their 33 games this season, amassing 92 points while tallying an astounding 103 goals, or more than three goals per game.
Although Postecoglou's present terms are set to expire at the end of the current season, raising doubts over his long-term future, it is believed that he signed a rolling 12-month contract at Celtic Park.
The 57-year-old is thought to have caught Leicester City's attention early this season, although Celtic are anticipated to extend their head coach's contract in order to fight off Premier League interest.
Prior to succeeding Neil Lennon as Celtic manager in 2021, Postecoglou managed Australia, Melbourne Victory, Brisbane Roar, and Yokohama F. Marinos. However, he is not currently thought to be Chelsea's first choice.
Chelsea have dropped their last four games across all competitions since Lampard returned to the bench, including a Champions League quarterfinal loss at the hands of Real Madrid, but the Englishman's tenure is not anticipated to be shortened.
Nagelsmann is reportedly eyeing the vacant Tottenham Hotspur position now that he has taken himself out of contention to join the Blues.
