Tottenham, Chelsea delight as Fabrizio Romano confirms Champions League-winning boss wants swift managerial return
Tottenham and Chelsea will likely be thrilled after Fabrizio Romano revealed how a top manager who is out of work wants a quick return to football, with a switch to the Premier League high on his radar.
Tottenham could be in need of a new manager if Antonio Conte leaves this summer. The Italian’s Spurs contract expires at the end of June and talks over an extension have yet to reach an advanced stage.
Conte has had a tough few months. His friend and Spurs fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone passed away in October. And Conte recently had to have surgery to remove his gallbladder.
He is currently recuperating back in Italy. It is thought that he would like to return there permanently at the end of the season to spend more time with his family, who have not moved to England with him.
Spurs could be joined by Chelsea in searching for a new manager in the near future. Blues chief Todd Boehly has backed current boss Graham Potter to turn things around amid the club’s terrible form.
However, as per a recent report from The Telegraph, the mood around Chelsea is changing. There is now genuine concern Potter could be axed if Chelsea lose their upcoming matches against Leeds and Dortmund.
One manager who has been linked with both jobs is Luis Enrique. He has been a free agent since leaving his role as Spain’s national team boss in December. That came after La Roja exited the World Cup at the hands of Morocco in the last 16.
Romano has now handed Spurs and Chelsea a major boost by detailing how the Spaniard, who won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015, wants to get back into management ‘as soon as possible’.
Fabrizio Romano discusses Tottenham, Chelsea-linked coach
“Luis Enrique is a top coach and it’s normal to see his name around for many jobs, such as Chelsea,”Romano wrote in his column for CaughtOffside. “At the moment, he’s not in conversation with any club yet.
“What I can say for sure is that Luis Enrique wants to return as soon as possible after the World Cup. He’d love to be back at work in the next [few] months, he doesn’t want to stop.”
Enrique has only ever managed in Spain and Italy before. This means it may take him some time to adjust to the English game, should he replace Conte at Spurs or Potter at Chelsea.
However, Enrique has great pedigree, especially from his time at Barca. Not only did he guide them to Champions League glory, but they also won other trophies such as the La Liga title and Copa del Rey during his time in charge.
Presumably, Enrique would jump at the chance to join a Premier League club. It would represent an exciting new challenge for him.
And he would not be the first coach with bags of La Liga experience to move to England. Unai Emery and Julen Lopetegui have taken charge of Aston Villa and Wolves respectively this campaign.
