Revealed: Chelsea have already begun conducting formal interviews with candidates to succeed Mauricio Pochettino after whittling down their shortlist to four… including a mystery manager

Chelsea have four main candidates in the frame to succeed Mauricio Pochettino They have started conducting formal interviews for the appointment Chelsea are 'baffling'... Mauricio Pochettino has NOT failed - where do the Blues go from here? Listen to the It's All Kicking Off! Podcast

Chelsea have begun the process of conducting formal interviews with the candidates in line to succeed Mauricio Pochettino.

Stamford Bridge directors have reduced their managerial shortlist, with Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna, Leicester’s Enzo Maresca and Brentford’s Thomas Frank still in the frame.

There’s understood to be another name on the club’s list of favoured candidates.

Chelsea have held a long-term interest in Sporting head coach Ruben Amorim but the cost of landing the Portuguese, who has a £12.8million release clause is hefty, particularly given the club are towing a fine line with regards to complying with profit and sustainability laws.

Intriguingly, Ipswich are already said to be considering replacements for McKenna in anticipation that he leaves this summer with Rob Edwards among the names on their radar as Luton face a fight to keep their highly-rated head coach.

Thomas Frank of Brentford is one of a handful of managers on Chelsea's updated shortlist

The Blues parted ways with manager Mauricio Pochettino after just 11 months on Tuesday

A number of Chelsea's players are believed to have been shocked and upset with the decision

McKenna, who is also wanted by Manchester United and Brighton, is open to leaving Portman Road for a more established top-flight side this summer.

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Similarly, Maresca has a strong chance of replacing Pochettino ahead of next season after excellent work in ensuring Leicester bounced straight back to the Premier League following relegation last season and will discuss the vacancy with Chelsea.

If Chelsea hire Maresca, Carlos Corberan is among the coaches Leicester would consider to succeed him.

The Spaniard is building an impressive reputation in the English game. After working under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, Corberan led Huddersfield to the Championship play-off final in 2022 on a fraction of the budget of many of their rivals.

He also took West Bromwich Albion into the play-offs last season, where there were eventually beaten by Southampton, despite huge financial uncertainty for most of the campaign.

Frank is understood to be keeping an open mind heading into the summer following eight years at Brentford.

Enzo Maresca topped the Championship with Leicester in his debut season as head coach

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna is believed to have been tracked by the Blues for some time

Sources have indicated the Danish would be open to a move to a bigger side, provided the working conditions are aligned with his ethos.

Former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper is an option for Brentford should Frank depart.

Chelsea are keen to appoint their new head coach for the start of June, with the search being led by sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

They want a ‘progressive’ head coach who will deliver front-foot football, as well as embracing their strategy off of it.

Chelsea’s owners have spent the last two years trying to assemble a squad of promising talent who they hope will deliver success for years to come, but Pochettino fell short of securing the Champions League qualification they craved as he left by mutual agreement on Tuesday.

Should Frank move across West London, he would be reunited with set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva, who joined Chelsea last week

One reason why Chelsea are want a swift resolution to their search is because they are aware Manchester United could soon rival them for their targets, should they dismiss Erik ten Hag after Saturday’s FA Cup final with Manchester City.

Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness and Girona's Michel are understood to have dropped out of the race to replace Pochettino.