Former Hull City boss Liam Rosenior is believed to be a strong contender to take over as the new manager of Chelsea following the bombshell news that Enzo Maresca has sacked.
Despite a solid opening to the season and a Club World Cup title win in the summer, murmurings of discontent around the former Leicester City manager have begun to bubble up in the past month at Stamford Bridge.
It has now all come to a head for Maresca, who has officially left the Blues on New Year’s Day after a torrid 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth in their final game of 2025.
Club statement: Enzo Maresca.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 1, 2026
Rosenior Succession Possible
According to Mark Douglas and the i paper, former Liam Rosenior is in firm contention to be Chelsea’s new manager, having done an excellent job with fellow BlueCo-owned club Strasbourg in France’s Ligue 1.
It is believed that his approach, which has been tailored towards developing young players, has impressed the hierarchy in West London, who have employed a similar model, which has seen signings like Estevao and former Strasbourg midfielder Andrey Santos purchased in recent years.
The Alsace club currently sit in 7th place, just four points off of the European spots, after 16 games of the season. Rosenior took charge back in July of 2024, and in his debut season secured Strasbourg a place in the UEFA Conference League.
🚨 Liam Rosenoir among front runners for #cfc job if Enzo Maresca leaves, @TheiPaperSport understands.
Impressive guy, spoke to him when he was at #hcafc. But obviously big step up. Read 👇 https://t.co/XbqIBCAm2d
— Mark Douglas (@MsiDouglas) January 1, 2026
It would mark a first return to England since his controversial sacking at Hull City, after a disagreement with Tigers owner Acun Ilicali, days after the club fell narrowly short of qualifying for the Championship playoffs.
Having represented the East Yorkshire side as both a player and manager, Rosenior earned plenty of plaudits for his attacking style of football, which saw loan stars like Fabio Carvalho, Jaden Philogene and Tyler Morton flourish.
Logical High-Risk Move?
With Chelsea not likely to challenge for many accolades this season, now is a perfect time to reset and put in a proper plan going forward for their bundles of youth talent.
While they are likely to be linked with many of the big-name coaches frequently mooted to leave their sides, like Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner or AFC Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, going to Rosenior could be a brilliant move.
As seen before while at Hull City, Rosenior has got the most out of his attacking players, which will play well in a squad like Chelsea’s, where they have plenty of depth both up front and out wide.
While it is a massive step up in his career should he make the move to Stamford Bridge, it could be a brilliant move to help realise the ambitions of what is a very young side which can grow alongside a new manager for the coming years.
