Marco Silva has emerged as a surprise candidate to take over at Chelsea after Graham Potter was finally sacked.
Julian Nagelsmann, sacked last week by Bayern Munich, is the club’s no.1 target while former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is also under consideration.
But Fulham boss Silva could be yet another left-field appointment by Chelsea's co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. The Portuguese former Fulham and Everton boss has admirers at Stamford Bridge with his promoted club sitting above the Blues in the Premier League table.
Potter was sacked on Sunday night, 24 hours after losing at home to Aston Villa, with Chelsea 11th in the table and 12 points off the top four.
The 2021 Champions League winners have won just four of their last 19 Premier League matches having spent more than £550m on new players this season.
Chelsea say Potter "has agreed to collaborate with the club to facilitate a smooth transition" and that Bruno Saltor will take charge of the team as interim head coach.
In a statement, co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: "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.”
Speaking after what proved to be his final game in charge, Potter insisted he'd take "responsibility". He said to BBC Sport: “The most important number is the one that goes against us (the scoreline). We have to do better.
“In terms of the game, you can see the players gave everything, they took on the responsibility, they tried, they had lots of entries into the box and shots and attacks.
“After a defeat there is always a disappointment. There is always a feeling we have not moved forward, that’s fair to say. We have to analyse the performance and look at the things we’ve done well and what we can do better.
“I don’t like to blame anybody, I have to take responsibility. We are a team, we have to stay together, we are together. We win or lose together.”
Chelsea host Liverpool in the Premier League on Tuesday and face Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on 12 April.
