According to sources, Marcelo Gallardo has already received Enzo Fernandez's approval and Chelsea is seriously considering hiring the Argentine.
Graham Potter was fired by the west Londoners last month, and Frank Lampard was named interim manager until the end of the current campaign. A comprehensive search is currently being conducted for a permanent replacement.
The two front-runners for the job at Stamford Bridge are Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique, with the latter reportedly rumored to have had face-to-face discussions in London last week.
Gallardo, the former manager of River Plate, is reportedly confident about getting the position, according to numerous publications in Argentina; UOL believes that he is 'near' to being hired.
They even go so far as to say Fernandez had a hand in it, with the 22-year-old allegedly "giving the go-ahead" to Chelsea's management.
As he transferred from Benfica to Chelsea in the January transfer window for £107 million, Fernandez broke the Premier League's record signing. Fernandez was a product of the River Plate academy under Gallardo's leadership.
Gallardo gave him his first-team debut back in 2019, and he still regards him as a "father figure." He is excited to rejoin with Gallardo in west London.
Gallardo, on the other hand, hasn't been with a team since leaving River Plate in November, but he has now let his coaching staff know that he'll be back in charge this summer.
The 47-year-old is ready to return to management after taking a break, and he is especially interested in the prospect of doing so in the Premier League.
Gallardo, who has twice won the Copa Libertadores, wants to test himself against the finest managers in the world. Since leaving River, he has been learning English, and he has even thought of temporarily relocating to the United States to strengthen his language proficiency.
The Argentine has been linked to other teams, including Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, but hasn't heard from any of them, who are both more likely to hire a European coach with more experience.
Before deciding who to hire, Chelsea is rumored to be meeting with a number of its management targets over the upcoming weeks and running extensive background investigations.
Although ex-Barcelona and Spain manager Luis Enrique is thought to have pleased the club's leadership with his vision for the squad and may potentially be the leading candidate for the post, they won't rush the decision and want to consider all of their possibilities.
