Chelsea are closing in on an agreement to appoint Lyon manager Sonia Bompastor as the successor to Emma Hayes.
French coach Bompastor, 43, is set to join in the summer, along with her assistant manager Camille Abily, to replace Hayes, who back in November announced her decision to depart the club at the end of the season after 12 years and was subsequently named as the new boss of the United States women’s national team.
The appointment would be a major success for Chelsea as they seek to hire the only female manager to win the Women’s Champions League in the last 15 years.
But the deal is unlikely to be announced before the end of the season, with an awkward potential meeting in this season’s Champions League final still possible.
Chelsea face current holders Barcelona in one semi-final tie later this month, while Bompastor’s Lyon side take on French rivals Paris Saint-Germain in the other.
Bompastor’s appointment would be well received among Chelsea’s senior players, who were interviewed by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart plus general manager Paul Green about their requirements for Hayes’s successor.
They wanted another female coach, with the likes of Casey Stoney and Laura Harvey previously interviewed.
Bompastor will satisfy the club’s superstar dressing room, having earned 150 caps for France and managed Lyon - the record eight-time women's European champions - since 2021.
Women’s club football resumes after an international break this week as Hayes’ Chelsea face a trip to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday after recently losing the League Cup final to Arsenal.
