Candidates for next Chelsea manager ranked by rating on last job from Luis Enrique to Julian Nagelsmann
Frank Lampard's return to Chelsea hasn't quite gone according to plan.
The Premier League side have lost all three matches under his watchful eye, scoring once in the process, and they remain in the bottom half of the table.
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A 12-point gap between themselves and the drop zone means they are unlikely to be sucked into a relegation dogfight, but a chance of European football is all but gone following a disappointing season at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard won't keep the job in the long-run, and following Graham Potter's sacking earlier this month, rumours have been rife as to whom will succeed the former Brighton man at Stamford Bridge.
With the help of 's unique rating system, talkSPORT ranks five out-of-work candidates lowest to highest based on their rating at their most recent managerial job, be it league or international, to determine who would be the best fit in west London.
5. Luis Enrique - 6.75 WhoScored.com Rating
Out of work since the World Cup, Luis Enrique has Premier League suitors in both Chelsea and Tottenham. However, it's fair to say his Spain side flattered to deceive at Qatar 2022.
They were knocked out of the competition by Morocco in the last-16 as they struggled to make their dominance of games count - the 7-0 thumping of Costa Rica aside.
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Spain may have exceeded expectations at Euro 2020, ultimately progressing to the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners Italy on penalties, but poor World Cup performances means Enrique foots this rundown with an average WhoScored.com rating of 6.75 across both competitions. Given Spain's goal issues, it's hardly a good fit for goal shy Chelsea anyway…
4. Brendan Rodgers - 6.76 WhoScored.com Rating
Rodgers has previous with Chelsea, so it's not a shock to see the former Leicester boss linked with a return. While many may not fancy Rodgers rocking up in west London, Leicester's WhoScored.com rating of 6.76 under the watchful eye of the 50-year-old was marginally better than Enrique for Spain.
Whether Rodgers will look to make a quick return to Premier League football remains to be seen, but poor investment during his time with the Foxes didn't aid his cause.
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Rodgers has ample Premier League experience that would stand him in better stead than others mooted with a switch to the capital.
3. Marcelo Gallardo - 6.87 WhoScored.com Rating
Between 2014 and 2022, Gallardo's River Plate were one of the more exciting teams to watch in South America. The substance matched the style, as River Plate won the Copa Libertadores twice, the Copa Argentina three times and were crowned Argentine champions in 2021 before Gallardo elected to call time on his spell at the club last year.
Since then, the 47-year-old has been biding his time and waiting for the right job to come up before returning to management.
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A Premier League switch has been previously mooted, even with the risks that come from appointing the Argentine. Gallardo has never managed outside of South America, and for all his good work with River Plate, the Premier League would be a significant step up from the Argentine Primera Division. Nevertheless, a WhoScored.com rating of 6.87 during his time as River Plate boss ranks third on this list.
2. Zinedine Zidane - 6.92 WhoScored.com Rating
It's been almost two years since Zidane last worked in football management following his May 2021 Real Madrid departure.
He has just two managerial reigns on his CV, both with Los Blancos, but in five years between 2016 and 2021, Real Madrid won 11 trophies, including the Champions League three times.
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Zidane may well be holding out for a role in his native France, with PSG long linked with him, but Chelsea could certainly use a manager of his reputation and standing to restore the club to their previous glories.
He commands respect on the back of his impressive playing career with Juventus, France and Real Madrid, while he is the man who managed to tame the Real Madrid dressing room.
There is no reason he couldn't do similar at Stamford Bridge.
1. Julian Nagelsmann - 6.98 WhoScored.com Rating
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The current favourite for the Chelsea manager's job and with the best WhoScored.com rating (6.98) is Nagelsmann.
He performed admirably during his time as Bayern Munich boss and his sacking was a huge shock. The decision to replace him with Thomas Tuchel hasn't quite had the desired effect, with the Bavarian powerhouse knocked out of the DFB-Pokal and all but out of the Champions League.
Despite his tender years, 35-year-old Nagelsmann has proven he can handle the demands of managing one of Europe's elite sides, even if Bayern did cast him to one side last month, and it's no surprise that Chelsea are looking to appoint him with a view to a long-term rebuild.
Providing trigger-happy Todd Boehly is willing to stick with Nagelsmann, it could prove the perfect appointment for the Blues.
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