Although Kieran McKenna is interested in the Chelsea position, Ipswich hopes to persuade the most sought-after manager in the Premier League to stay by offering him a new contract.
Although the Stamford Bridge team has a vicious reputation for chowing down on head coaches—Mauricio Pochettino was the most recent to depart on Tuesday—sources close to McKenna have expressed a willingness for him to push himself to the limit.
But the 38-year-old is currently dealing with a decision that might make or break his coaching career. After Brighton parted ways with Roberto De Zerbi, McKenna is also in the running with Chelsea. Manchester United may also enter the race if Erik ten Hag gets dismissed as they get ready to play Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.
McKenna is weighing his choices, and staying at Ipswich, the team he guided to consecutive promotions from League One to the Premier League, is one of them.
He is under contract with Portman Road until 2027, and although negotiations are anticipated to begin soon, it seems unlikely that a new agreement will be reached.
If a rival team was able to lure McKenna, Ipswich would be owed a sum of money estimated to be in the region of £4 million.
As they continue to assess candidates, Mail Sport has been informed that Chelsea is still viewed as desired.
Enzo Maresca of Leicester emerged as another candidate on Wednesday, so McKenna is not the only manager on their short list.
Sebastian Hoeness of Stuttgart and Michel of Girona are also in the running, while Thomas Frank of Brentford has reportedly informed Mail Sport that he is not interested in the position.
After parting ways with Pochettino, Chelsea is eager to recruit a new coach as soon as possible. Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, the sporting directors, are looking for a “young, progressive” coach.
The club knows that if they delay too long, they could find themselves in competition for United’s top targets in the event of a vacancy.
Speaking at the League Managers Association awards in London on Tuesday, McKenna—a lifelong United supporter and former teammate of Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford—won LMA Manager of the Year for steering Ipswich to the Premier League.
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