The agent of Julian Nagelsmann, Volker Struth, has now claimed that Chelsea actually wanted his client as their first choice for the vacant manager’s job.
He told BILD’s Phrasenmaher podcast that there were a number of phone conversations between the two parties regarding the potential appointment.
It is currently expected that Mauricio Pochettino will be announced as the manager for next season in the coming days.
This is at the end of what has been a lengthy recruitment process, in line with the requirement to get the next appointment correct after the Graham Potter experiment.
A number of managers, both in and out of work currently, have been linked with the hotseat at Stamford Bridge, however the former Tottenham man has emerged as the sole remaining candidate.
However, Nagelsmann was at one stage seen as the favourite, following the timing of his sacking at Bayern Munich.
Chelsea wanted Nagelsmann first
Now, Struth has claimed the Blues did originally want him, although it was the correct decision for his client to not make the move to West London.
He said: “I can confirm that Chelsea were quick to call [after his dismissal at Bayern Munich). There were some phone conversations. It was the right decision not to go there.”
“[Chelsea’s] a club in troubled waters at the moment. And their transfer policy, spending a few hundred million euros, has raised expectations that need to be met.”
“There were also some other issues. He was [Chelsea’s] number one [choice], that was our information. I believe it would have happened if he had wanted it.”
Talks have recently reportedly not advanced between Nagelsmann and Tottenham, perhaps suggesting the former Bundesliga winner is not quite ready for the step up to the Premier League upper echelons right now.
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