Interim boss Bruno Saltor on 'tough' 24 hour period for Chelsea
Chelsea have been sent an exciting message that they may already have the next Eden Hazard already at the club, though their next boss may have a challenge ahead unearthing his potential. The Blues have begun plans to appoint a successor to Graham Potter, after the former Brighton man was sacked on Sunday as his outfit were languishing in mid-table and defeat at home to Aston Villa proved to be the final straw.
Chelsea are sounding out as many as seven head coaches according to reports, while Bruno Saltor leads the team until an appointment is made. Julian Nagelsmann is said to have held positive talks regarding the position, though the likes of Luis Enrique and Mauricio Pochettino remain in with a chance at the gig.
Whoever takes over will have a large squad to assess and contend with - including some talented individuals and new signings. A bloated squad hindered Potter, as it has since been revealed that there were so many players that several stars had to get changed outside of the dressing room at the training ground, but the right head coach may be able to unlock a vast amount of talent.
Mykhaylo Mudryk was close to a move to Arsenal before Chelsea gazumped their London rivals to his signature for a fee of £88.5million. The Ukrainian has struggled to hit the ground running, but former Blues boss midfielder Gus Poyet believes he can have a similar impact to Hazard.
Eden Hazard was a star for Chelsea before leaving for Real Madrid. (Image: Getty)
“He’s the type of player that needs to make a difference,” Poyet told the London Evening Standard. “The job Mudryk will have in the future is what Eden Hazard did at Chelsea — he’s that type of player and the potential is there.
“99 per cent of the time, you don’t sign that quantity of players in January. That was the biggest surprise for me. If we analyse the players they bought, there is definitely a plan. They are players that have been signed for the future. The new message is patience.”
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Mudryk showed glimpses of promise on his Chelsea debut against Liverpool, but was unable to make the required impact under Potter.
The Ukraine international was handed a start against Aston Villa but could break Unai Emery’s defence down and was hauled off just before the hour mark.
Whichever head coach takes up the mantle could have a player with Hazard’s potential according to Poyet - the Belgian won two Premier League titles during his time at the club in addition to a Player of the Year award for the 2014/15 season - though Mudryk’s raw talent will need to be nurtured in order for him to live up to the Real Madrid man’s billing.