Chelsea flat out DENY approach for elite manager with BlueCo ‘drilling down’ on main candidates | OneFootball

Sources have dismissed claims that Chelsea have made any move for Xavi, having insisted there has been no approach for the former Barcelona boss, who himself has shown no active desire to take a job in England at this stage.

TEAMtalk understands that while Xavi’s name has circulated widely over the past 12 months, this has largely been driven by intermediaries rather than any direct push from his camp.

A number of Premier League clubs – including Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United – have been contacted in recent months, as well as Chelsea, as part of broader market exploration.

It is important to note that those approaches were not initiated by Xavi or his representatives.

Indeed, they instead formed part of informal assessments, as the Spaniard weighed up whether a move to English football would suit his next step.

Sources close to the situation indicate that while Xavi would be open to considering a role in the Premier League at some point, there is currently no concrete plan in place and no active negotiations underway with any English club.

Our report also puts to bed a recent suggestion from talkSPORT that Xavi could soon be on his way to Stamford Bridge, following an initial approach for the 46-year-old.

Chelsea in no rush as multiple managerial candidates assessed

Chelsea, meanwhile, remain focused on their own structured process.

The club are working through an extensive shortlist, with senior figures behind the scenes said to be “drilling down” into the best possible candidates for the role.

Sources can reveal that close to 20 names have been seriously discussed as part of that process, underlining the thorough approach being taken as the Blues aim to get their next managerial appointment right.

However, my colleague Fraser Fletcher recently revealed that a potential move for outstanding Porto coach Francesco Farioli is now deemed ‘highly improbable’.

For now, despite the noise linking Xavi with Stamford Bridge, there is no substance to suggestions of an imminent move.

That, in turn, leaves Chelsea’s search wide open as they continue to assess their options ahead of the summer, with the likes of Andoni Iraola, Xabi Alonso and former Blues midfielder Cesc Fabregas all strongly in the running for what we understand remains a very wide open race.