Kieran McKenna has given Chelsea the green light to step up their approach which could see the Ipswich boss replace Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
The Northern Irishman is known to be interested in the position and has urged the Blues to include him on their shortlist.
Ipswich want McKenna to stay and will offer the 38-year-old a new contract despite his current deal until 2027.
Pochettino left Chelsea by mutual consent on Tuesday, halfway through his two-year contract.
The former Tottenham manager guided Chelsea to sixth place, securing European football, but the Blues’ owners still considered it an unsatisfactory result.
Chelsea immediately began searching for their sixth manager in two years, with McKenna emerging as one of the leading candidates.
The former Manchester United assistant led Ipswich to back-to-back promotions and believes he is ready to take the next step in his career,
taking the Tractor Driver from League One to the Premier League. Ipswich are thought to be able to recover more than £4 million in compensation,
but this does not prevent Chelsea from taking any legal action. Brighton have also identified McKenna as a key target to replace the late Roberto De Zerbi.
McKenna was this week awarded the League Managers Association Manager of the Year award, highlighting his role in leading the club back to the top flight
for the first time in 22 years. McKenna embodies the kind of manager Chelsea want to take the Blues forward.
The club is determined to attract a talented young head coach who will grow with the club and have a long career.
Ruben Amorim is Chelsea’s long-term target, but the Sporting manager looks difficult to pry away from Lisbon this summer.
Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeneß is also highly respected, but he should want to stay in his current position.
Brentford’s Thomas Frank has many fans at Chelsea, but it appears he has no interest in a move to west London.
Leicester’s Enzo Maresca could therefore also be a strong candidate, with Girona’s Michel also being considered.
