Enrique responds after holding Chelsea job talks following Potter exit

Chelsea interim coach Bruno Salter reviews the Liverpool game

Luis Enrique has broken his silence after holding talks with Chelsea about becoming their next manager. The 52-year-old is currently out of work after leaving his post as Spain boss following the Qatar World Cup at the tail end of last year. And his next job could be at Stamford Bridge in the wake of Graham Potter’s departure. 

Chelsea axed Potter on Sunday night, less than 24 hours after a dire 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on home soil.

And it emerged earlier on Wednesday that Enrique was jetting into London to hold talks about taking over at Stamford Bridge.

Now, speaking to Jijantes FC, Enrique was directly asked about his arrival in London.

And the 52-year-old opted to shrug off questions, denying he’d been in the capital and instead insisting he’d been in Formentera.

Enrique was accompanied by his son Pacho and former Spain star Ivan de La Pena as he made his way out of the airport.

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It’s since emerged that Chelsea were ‘delighted’ with the way talks went with the former Roma, Barcelona and Spain boss.

But he’s not the only candidate they’re considering as Todd Boehly looks to get his second managerial appointment right in west London.

Julian Nagelsmann is believed to be in Chelsea’s radar, with the German available after his surprising sacking by Bayern Munich.

His young age could count against him, though, with the 35-year-old keen to take his time before taking on another job elsewhere.

A third potential options for Chelsea is Mauricio Pochettino, too.

The Argentine left Paris Saint-Germain back in the summer after failing to steer the club to Champions League glory.

Pochettino previously did well in England at Southampton, while also making Tottenham a force on the domestic and European scenes during his time there.

Whether he’d take the job at Chelsea, given his relationship with Tottenham, remains to be seen.

But Boehly is determined to find the right man and won’t be rushing into any appointment at the current time of writing.

Speaking after Potter left on Sunday, the Chelsea owner thanked the 47-year-old for his work and wished him well for the future.

Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: “On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea.

“We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person.

“He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.

“Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season.

“We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high.”

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