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Will Chelsea turn to a current Premier League manager?

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 19: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich looks on after their 3-1 win in the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on December 19, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 19: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich looks on after their 3-1 win in the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on December 19, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /
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It’s been weeks since Chelsea fired Jose Mourinho and the rumors about their next permanent manager are still flying

The rumor mill is starting to churn out potential Chelsea managers in the aftermath of Jose Mourinho’s firing. Guus Hiddink is in charge as an interim, but fans at Stamford Bridge are anxious to know who the next permanent man is going to be. Could Roman Abramovich turn to a current Premier League manager?

If you believe the most recent rumors regarding the Chelsea opening it’s a distinct possibility. Both Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri and Stoke boss Mark Hughes have been linked with the job per an ESPN.com report.

In the case of Ranieri, it would be a return to his old stomping grounds. While his current Leicester side are much higher in the table than Chelsea, he might be swayed by the spending power of his former club. Whereas he has a fight on his hands to hang on to talisman Jamie Vardy with the Foxes, Abramovich would potentially provide him a blank check at Stamford Bridge.

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Still, it’s difficult to see Ranieri giving up on his current project. He’s in charge of the Premier League’s best fairytale and there’s no telling where it will end up. It’s not out of the question that the Foxes could challenge for a Premier League title. Even if they miss out on the title and land a Champions League place, Ranieri is likely to stay to finish what he has started.

On the other hand, Mark Hughes would seem to be a man who wouldn’t be able to afford saying no to Chelsea. He’s done a nice job with Stoke and has them playing very stylish football. However, they’ve still struggled to translate all of that style into results on the pitch at times this season.

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Stoke still is on the outside looking in at the title race and even the race for Champions League qualification. Hughes will have to think long and hard if he gets a phone call from Abramovich about the Chelsea job. The ceiling at Stamford Bridge is on a different planet than that at the Brittania.

Despite these rumors regarding Premier League targets, it still seems infinitely more likely that Abramovich has bigger targets in mind. When he moved on from Mourinho he did so with the full knowledge that many fans didn’t support his firing. If he replaces them with someone who lacks real star power, those critical voices will only get louder.

Until Chelsea selects a permanent successor for Guus Hiddink the rumors of Abramovich’s choice are only going to get louder. It’s only a matter of time before every successful Premier League manager is linked with a “shocking” move to Stamford Bridge. Claudio Ranieri and Mark Hughes are just the first two in what will be a lengthy line.

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