Chelsea eye three ‘top-level’ managers to replace Liam Rosenior

Chelsea are evaluating several managerial options as they seek to appoint a replacement for Liam Rosenior.

Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva and Xabi Alonso are among the managers on their shortlist, according to the Telegraph.

Iraola will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season after the expiration of his contract. Silva has yet to sign a new deal at Fulham, and Alonso has been out of work since Real Madrid sacked him.

Chelsea will reportedly contact their representatives to find out whether they are open to joining the club.

They are aiming to appoint a manager with top-level experience, explaining why Iraola, Alonso and Silva are under consideration.

Iraola and Silva have Premier League experience, impressing at Bournemouth and Fulham respectively, despite financial constraints.

Alonso guided Bayern Leverkusen to their first-ever Bundesliga title, with a young squad similar to Chelsea’s. However, that was followed by an unconvincing stint at Madrid.

Chelsea’s sporting directors are leading the search for their new manager and will ‘report their findings and recommendations to the club’s owners’.

They will make rigorous checks to evaluate candidates before making their final decision.

U21 head coach Calum McFarlane will be in charge of the first team until the end of the season. He was in the dugout for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds United.

McFarlane also assumed the interim role following Enzo Maresca’s sacking. He is not expected to be considered for the permanent role due to his inexperience at the top level.