Julian Nagelsmann’s agent insists the German tactician was right to turn down an approach from Chelsea despite reportedly being the club’s first choice for the vacant managerial position.
Nagelsmann was in talks with the club to take over as the permanent boss following his shock dismissal from Bayern Munich in March.
However, the former RB Leipzig manager rejected advances from Chelsea before being ruled out of the race for the vacant Tottenham Hotspur job.
Nagelsmann is still out of a job, although the 35-year-old had indicated he wanted to take a brief spell away from football before returning to management duties.
His agent Volker Struth has now admitted that Chelsea were in contact with Nagelsmann for the role before claiming he was right to reject the offer.
“I can confirm that Chelsea were quick to call (after Nagelsmann’s dismissal at Bayern Munich),” Struth said (via The Athletic).
“There were some phone conversations. It was the right decision (by Nagelsmann) not to go there. It’s a club in troubled waters at the moment.
“And their transfer policy, spending a few hundred million euros, has raised expectations that need to be met. There were also some other issues.
“He was their number one (choice) – that was our information. I believe it would have happened if he had wanted it.”
Despite Struth’s claim that Nagelsmann was Chelsea’s first choice, it is understood that he was not their priority target, as the Blues wanted to conduct an exhaustive search for their new boss.
They have now agreed a deal with former Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino with an official announcement imminent.
The Argentine tactician will take over from interim boss Frank Lampard at the end of the season.
