Chelsea have allegedly made contact with Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo over the past 48 hours.
On Sunday evening, the Blues hierarchy made the decision to part ways with head coach Graham Potter after just 31 matches in charge.
While Bruno Saltor was handed the reins on an interim basis for Tuesday's goalless draw with Liverpool, it has now emerged that former boss and club legend Frank Lampard is in line to take charge for the rest of the season.
Nevertheless, that will not stop Todd Boehly and co from undergoing an extensive search to find a long-term replacement for Potter over the coming weeks.
On Wednesday, it was widely claimed that Luis Enrique had travelled to London and held discussions over becoming the new head coach for 2023-24.
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Recently-sacked Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann is also in line to speak with Chelsea in due course, while Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim is known to have admirers at Stamford Bridge.
However, according to Relevo, Chelsea are also giving prepared to consider the return of Mourinho or a left-field choice in Nuno.
Mourinho, currently in charge of Roma, is regarded as one of the best managers in the history of Chelsea, winning three Premier League titles and four domestic cups across two spells.
The Portuguese has a contract at Stadio Olimpico until 2024, but the veteran has been linked with other top jobs on the back of winning last season's Europa Conference League.
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Meanwhile, Nuno is currently in the process of rebuilding his career in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad, his team currently sitting top of the league standings.
Eighteen wins and just one defeat have come from 26 matches, although the former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss has endured a 17-match spell with Chelsea's rivals Tottenham Hotspur which was deemed to be disastrous.
Neither man, particularly Nuno, is rated highly by bookmakers, but Chelsea will not be in any rush to make a decision with Lampard's pending arrival.
Lampard's first game will see him take Chelsea to Molineux to face Wolves before the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu four days later.
Darren Plant
