Chelsea willing to pay ‘brilliant’ manager’s wage demands

The speculation in the media is intensifying as Chelsea go in search of their next head coach following the end-of-season exit from Mauricio Pochettino.

For the Blues, it’ll be a fourth full-time manager at Stamford Bridge in just two years of this ownership group.

The Telegraph claims that Chelsea are now looking at a four-man managerial shortlist that includes Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca, Brentford’s Thomas Frank, plus a fourth unknown name.

Kieran McKenna, Manager of Ipswich Town during the Sky Bet Championship match between Ipswich Town and Bristol City at Portman Road on March 05, 20…

The Times now reports that Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna is at the centre of a tug of war this summer between Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton.

It is explained that rivals Chelsea and Brighton are willing to met the manager’s demands.

Also, there’s a £6m compensation fee that they both would have to cough up for the highly-rated Northern Irish coach.

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Previously, The Times said that Brighton have confidence they can nudge Chelsea aside by winning the race to appoint McKenna this summer.

McKenna’s just achieved back-to-back promotions as Ipswich manager from League One to the Premier League, which has now resulted in the young coach receiving links to big sides in the top division.

Speaking last September, Gary Lineker picked out the 38-year-old manager when asked for the best up and coming coach outside of the Premier League.

Lineker said on The Rest Is Football Podcast: “I’m going to go with Kieran McKenna from Ipswich Town. I think he’s done a brilliant job with them. He’s young, he was a youth coach at Manchester United, and was at Tottenham a bit before that.”

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The Guardian has claimed that Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca, Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are on Chelsea’s managerial shortlist still.

Apparently, one thing about the hunt for Chelsea’s next manager has shocked some in the football industry.

When you consider McKenna is a young manager who’s never been in charge of a top division club before, it’s a slight surprise so many established teams in the Premier League like him to this extent.

The Northern Irishman has been a senior manager for less than three years since leaving his role as an assistant at Man United. However, he’s built up quite a strong CV in the lower leagues with one club.

McKenna’s achieved back-to-back promotions as Ipswich boss from League One to the Premier League. In particular, finishing second in the Championship this year above the likes of Leeds United and Southampton is super impressive when you compare squads.