The hunt for a new manager at Chelsea for next season has been going on for quite a while now, and one of the likely candidates for the far from secure job at Stamford Bridge looks like being Manuel Pellegrini, after his agent claimed the English Premier League club had shown an interest.
Chelsea are on the lookout for a new manager in the summer, with current coach Rafa Benitez, controversially appointed following the firing of Roberto Di Matteo, expected to leave at the end of the season.
Several names have been linked with the Stamford Bridge job, including a sensational return for Jose Mourinho.
Diego Simeone, Gianfranco Zola, Michael Laudrup, Roberto Martinez and David Moyes have been just a few of the other names that have been reportedly looked at, with Pellegrini also a serious candidate.
Pellegrini has been a huge hit at Malaga, guiding the team to a top-four spot last season, and despite widespread internal turmoil, has kept the side in the European places this year, while also qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The Chilean manager was a big success at Villarreal, which prompted a move to Real Madrid, where he was given the sack after one year in 2010.
Ever since, Pellegrini has continued to show his astuteness in the game, turning Malaga into one of the top teams in Spain, albeit without really challenging the duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The 59-year-old's agent Jesus Martinez claimed they had been sounded out about the job, although no official approach had been made.
"Manuel has a contract with Malaga," Martinez told El Mercurio. "I think that in April and May we will be clear about what will happen with his future.
"Our first intention is to respect our commitment, but it also depends on what the conditions are.
"We had a formal offer from Roma, but we rejected it. It was less than 15 days ago, but we discarded it outright because we are in the middle of the season.
"Chelsea and other clubs have asked, but only through intermediaries, nothing official. Manuel would love to coach in the English Premier League, as he would in Germany, Italy and other important leagues.
"There's plenty of time to analyze what we will do next season."
