“Would be more than happy”

Fabrizio Romano has reported that AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is interested in becoming the next Chelsea manager. He reports that talks are still in early stages, but the Spaniard is open to making the switch.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said that Iraola is keen on the opportunity to replace Liam Rosenior at Stamford Bridge. He added that the AFC Bournemouth manager is among those in the running and said:

“Iraola would be more than happy to continue in the Premier League. Iraola would be keen on the possibility of becoming the new Chelsea manager. But, at the moment, Chelsea are still in the early stages. They want to take their time and decide who the ideal candidate is. There is still nothing advanced or done with Iraola.”

Romano went on to reveal that Cesc Fabregas is not going to make the switch. He added that the former Barcelona and Arsenal midfielder is keen on staying at Como and said:

“Fabregas is very happy at Como and he is already planning for next season with Como in terms of new signings, tactics and ideas. For sure, Cesc is 100% involved in the Como project. So we have to see if Chels will try and go all-in for Fabregas. My understanding is that Como are convinced they will continue with Fabregas.”

“Como’s feeling is that Cesc will be their manager next season and they hope to be in European football. But, it will also depend on what happens at Chelsea. They are yet to decide who will be the new coach. They are considering candidates and they are exploring possibilities, but this process will take some time.”

The Blues are looking for their next manager after sacking Rosenior last week, following a poor run of form. They are looking for their third manager in less than five months after Enzo Maresca resigned on New Year’s Day.

Cesc Fabregas commented on Chelsea interest

Como president, Mirwan Suwarso, spoke to CityAM and said that the club would not stand in the way of Cesc Fabregas if he wanted to join Chelsea. However, the Spaniard was quick to distance himself from the switch and said:

“I don’t have to say anything. I don’t know anything about it. It would be stupid to think about things that aren’t important now, because this isn’t important to me. The most important thing is Genoa, the next match, and we want to do everything we can to win. I think I’ll continue as Como’s coach: my experience as a player gives me peace of mind.” (via Standard)

Apart from Cesc Fabregas and Andoni Iraola, Xabi Alonso has also been linked with the Stamford Bridge job.