Sports
Liam Rosenior Arrives in London to Finalise Chelsea Move
Liam Rosenior, who is currently the manager of BlueCo-owned Strasbourg of Ligue 1, has arrived in London as his move to Premier League side Chelsea draws near to completion, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.
The Blues parted ways with Enzo Maresca, who had informed the club that he had held talks with figures associated with Manchester City over replacing Pep Guardiola, on New Year’s Day and have since been looking for a long-term replacement.
Having led the five-time winners of the Premier League to a fourth-placed finish in the league, glory in the Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup trophy, the Italian manager did a great job in his debut season at the Blues, but things didn’t go as swimmingly in the infancy of 2025/26.
Sources: Rosenior Landed in London Ahead of Strasbourg-to-Chelsea Move
On the lookout for a new manager as a result, Rosenior – who played for Brighton & Hove Albion, Ipswich Town and Reading during his playing days – quickly emerged as the leading candidate to be Maresca’s successor in the west of the capital.
GIVEMESPORT sources understand that London-born Rosenior, who moved to Stasbourg in the summer of 2024 after a 78-match stint in charge of Hull City, has always been the leading candidate for Chelsea.
In fact, it is believed that he has always been admired by the Stamford Bridge higher-ups, who are not afraid to pull the trigger and change managers. Long before things turned sour between the club and Maresca, Rosenior was on their radar – and the Italian manager leaving has left the door ajar for the Englishman.
|
Liam Rosenior – Managerial Statistics |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Spell |
Matches |
W/D/L |
Points per Match |
|
Strasbourg |
25/07/24 – Present |
63 |
32/14/17 |
1.75 |
|
Hull City |
03/11/22 – 20/06/24 |
78 |
27/28/23 |
1.40 |
|
Derby County (Caretaker) |
21/09/22 – 21/09/22 |
12 |
7/2/3 |
1.92 |
On Friday, before he travelled to London to put pen to paper on a Chelsea contract, he said: “I’m going to talk about Nice because that’s my job. There’s a lot of noise, a lot of speculation, but as a coach, if you get involved in that, you fail. My job is here, I love this club.”
“No, I haven’t spoken to the players about it,” the 41-year-old added, per The Mirror. “There’s no need, they’re connected and I’ve had a few lighthearted jokes. But we’ve been focused on our work. The goal is to continue creating great things here.
BlueCo Need to Find Rosenior Replacement at Strasbourg Before Chelsea Appointment
Although names such as Oliver Glasner, who is currently in charge of Crystal Palace, and Cesc Fabregas have been included in the reporting of becoming Maresca’s successor, Rosenior has long been at the top of the pecking order.
That said, before Rosenior can rubber-stamp his move from Strasbourg to Chelsea, BlueCo are keen to find a solution (a suitable replacement) for the former.
At the time of writing, the Englishman is contracted to the Ligue 1 club until the summer of 2028 and a change in manager will need to be sorted before Chelsea get their hands on their primary target, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.
Chelsea: Liam Rosenior Revealed Rival Football Club He Grew Up Supporting
The 41-year-old is already under heavy scrutiny from Chelsea supporters, despite his appointment not yet being official.
In terms of who could replace him in France, ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil has been added to the club’s shortlist. Three names, GMS understand, are being whittled down to two and a final decision is expected to be made on Monday.
Rosenior, widely regarded as one of the best English managers in world football, has impressed at Strasbourg since his appointment in 2024. In that timeframe, he’s overseen a total of 63 matches, accruing a points per match rate of 1.75.
All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 04/01/2026
