Chelsea ready to sign ‘Europe’s best young manager’

Whatever the widespread criticism of Roman Abramovich during his time at Chelsea, there is no debate as to what the Russian’s main motive was: winning.

By the start of Jose Mourinho’s first season as manager in 2004, the Blues had assembled a squad of excellent players, and they ultimately dominated over the next two years, conceding just 15 goals all season as they raced to their first Premier League title.

Over the next decade or so, that core of players, the core of men, became a team feared nationally and in Europe, a far cry from what they are today.

In fact, BlueCo has been so focused on the future and obsessed with trading players that they have consistently talked about projects and long-term ambitions while ignoring the fundamental goal of football: winning.

After the failure of Liam Rosenior’s short-lived tenure, this needs to be a point of change in west London, with a new elite manager providing plenty of inspiration.

Latest updates on Chelsea’s search for Rosenior’s replacement

Rosenior felt like a dead man walking through the Chelsea dugout from the start, but his premature promotion is perhaps the latest problem with the multi-club model.

Ten losses in 23 games is not up to par for a team chasing the Champions League, and the Blues were unable to overcome Manchester United’s poor defensive performance in their last match.

Youth coach Callum McFarlane will remain in charge until a permanent replacement is found this summer, but there is a sense that Todd Boley and others have yet to decide on a potential candidate for next season.

However, according to TEAMtalk, current Germany national team coach Julian Nagelsmann is considered a “dream target”, but they have not yet been contacted.

The report suggests the Blues are ready to present their project to the former Bayern Munich manager, even if it is difficult to lure him to west London.

Nagelsmann, who is only 38 years old, is said to be one of Bruko’s “great favorites” and no appointment is considered “impossible”.

Why Nagelsmann could be Chelsea’s next Mourinho

In an era where there are no real managers, or at least no managerial personalities, it is easy to forget the impact Mourinho made when he walked into England’s doors just over 20 years ago on the back of impressive Champions League success with Porto.

The charming and enigmatic young manager instantly took Chelsea to the next level, with ‘The Special One’ winning the league in his first two chances and winning the title again on his return in 2013.

Both Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte have enjoyed success without Mourinho in charge, but the Portuguese remains the benchmark for modern Blues managers.

Hopefully, Nagelsmann will be the one to eventually repeat that kind of success, with journalist Josh Bunting saying the German could arrive in west London as “Europe’s best young manager” in 2024, just as Mourinho did.

In the view of his compatriot Tim Wiese, the genius coach is a “mini Mourinho” who has not played at an elite level since an injury cut short his playing career at the age of 20.

But as one door closed, another opened, and Nagelsmann was appointed manager of Hoffenheim in 2015, aged just 28, and quickly emerged as one of the world’s hottest managerial candidates.

He joined with a club in danger of being relegated, but by the end of his stay the Bundesliga side had become Champions League members, while his time at RB Leipzig saw the polarizing club reach the last four in Europe’s top competition.

The former Bundesliga champion with Bayern has now spent almost three years with the German national team and is fully focused on leading the 2014 champions to further glory at this summer’s World Cup.

Whatever happens in North America, Chelsea should definitely do everything possible to get Nagelsmann to move to the Premier League, and it has to be said that Nagelsmann looks like the second coming of Mourinho.

He is young, somewhat unique, and already has a wealth of experience at an elite level, making him the perfect person to get the current Blues bunch back where they belong.

As Mourinho has shown, a good manager can quickly build a good team.