Four potential candidates to take over as Chelsea manager

4. Rafa Benitez

Last but not least, you have Rafael Benitez. We all know how his last stint with Chelsea went when he took over. Suffice to say, the Chelsea faithful do not have fond memories of the Spaniard.

But if anyone knows how to fix a club or operate with a shoestring budget and an irksome owner, it’s Benitez.

He’s done more than a good job at Newcastle despite Mike Ashley not really buying players for the club. But Benitez has done as well as anyone could hope for and in spite of everything, kept them as a top-flight side.

His contract is running down and there appears to be a struggle with him and ownership where the former is annoyed at the lack of investment. Miguel Almiron was brought in last season and did fairly well for them.

In their rumour mill, The Guardian had Benitez as a candidate for the role. On the surface, this may be a far-fetched appointment, but looking deeper, it actually makes sense.

The biggest obstacle in Chelsea’s way of appointing anyone if the much-mentioned transfer ban. A high-profile coach wants to make new signings and that’s something they won’t have at Chelsea. But Benitez has been able to make things work at a club who does not like to spend and amidst sale of the club as well.

Benitez has been able to re-establish himself as a manager after failed stints at Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Despite those setbacks, he is a good coach and at Newcastle, is revered by the fans because they know how tough it is to manage there. The Spaniard has experience coaching in different leagues and has had success in England.

Chelsea are in a position where they can no longer fire a manager at will. They need a coach who is going to be there at least three years. They need someone who can establish a style, an identity, and leave a legacy. They could do a lot worse than Rafa Benitez.

Who do you think will replace Maurizio Sari at Chelsea?