The media is reporting that Roman Abramovich wants Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola to become the next Chelsea manager.
The Mirror is reporting that Guardiola is Abramovich’s stand-out first option, with the architect of the finest team on the planet the man the Russian believes can deliver his vision of “Barcelona in blue shirts”.
Interestingly nobody is asking why in the world would Guardiola want to come to Chelsea where the last manager lasted all of 257 days? Since Jose Mourinho left in September 2007, Chelsea have had five managers.
Guardiola was brought up in the Barcelona ethos of continuity, where every team plays the same way, and that their is not a rotating door for the manager. Why would he want to leave the best team in the world for a Chelsea side that needs to be rebuild, but their is no assurance that you as the manager will be given the time to rebuild?
Same question will have to be asked to Mourinho. Yes he loves London, and he still communicates with some of the Chelsea players, but why would he want to take on a Chelsea rebuilding project for an owner with a twitchy firing finger.
I hate to say this, but if I was Guardiola or Mourinho, the Spurs job looks more appealing than the Chelsea one. There you have a nucleus of younger players to build around. What do you build around at Chelsea: Luiz, Cahill, Mata, Sturridge?
So if Chelsea are not getting one of the two best coaches in the game, then who will they get? I think it is a two-man race between Rafa Benitez (who wants the job) and Fabio Capello, who would be the favourite of the dressing room.
Who do you think will be the next Chelsea manager?
This post originally appeared on our Chelsea blog.
