Chelsea are in talks with Frank Lampard to become the club’s interim head coach as they continue their search for a permanent successor to Graham Potter, sources have told ESPN.
The 44-year-old has emerged as a possible short-term solution to take over until the end of the season as talks continue with a number of candidates for the Stamford Bridge vacancy.
Potter was sacked on Sunday after less than seven months in charge and sources told ESPN that the club had initially identified five to seven people who could replace him.
The club have been in contact with Julian Nagelsmann, sacked by Bayern Munich last month, and Luis Enrique, who flew to London on Wednesday in what sources described as positive talks about the position.
Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino was also thought to be under consideration, but no contact had been made with the 51-year-old as of Tuesday.
The recruitment process is being led by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart, who told Potter in face-to-face talks at the club’s Cobham training base that his contract would be terminated with the unanimous support of the board.
Sources told ESPN that Nagelsmann would ideally like to wait until the summer to decide on his next role.
The availability of Lampard — out of work since being sacked by Everton in January — gives Chelsea the flexibility to give Chelsea time to decide on one of their preferred long-term candidates.
He managed Chelsea for 18 months before the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as head coach in 2021 and is the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, netting 211 times in 649 appearances.
Bruno Salter, a coach under Potter with no managerial experience, took charge in Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Liverpool. Lampard was present.
ESPN’s Rodrigo Faiz contributed to this story.