Chelsea must hire 'perfect' head coach before 'more glamorous' rivals make their move, warns Joleon Lescott before Emirates FA Cup final
Published 14/05/2026 at 10:23 GMT+1
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TNT Sports expert Joleon Lescott said this summer presents the "perfect opportunity" for Chelsea to appoint a head coach who will soon be presented with "more glamorous" options.
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Chelsea have already sacked two head coaches this year, with Enzo Maresca departing in January before his replacement, Liam Rosenior, was dismissed in April after losing five successive Premier League matches without scoring.
As such, they will be back on the search for a new figure in the dug-out this summer - and Lescott earmarked who he feels should be their primary candidate, under one condition.
"There's a name that I think they should go and get, and I think that's Cesc Fabregas," Lescott said on TNT Sports' The Breakdown. "But give him the opportunity to develop like Arsenal have done with Mikel Arteta."
Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took ownership of Chelsea in 2022, they have cycled through the Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino as head coach, prior to landing on Maresca, who won two trophies in 18 months.
In comparison, Arsenal have stuck with Arteta since 2019, despite him winning just one trophy thus far - the FA Cup in the season he arrived in north London.
Their patience has paid off. The Gunners are now on the brink of clinching their first Premier League title since 2004 and into their first UEFA Champions League final in 20 years.
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Lescott believes it would be the perfect time for Chelsea to invest in Fabregas, whose stock is high after two successful seasons in charge of Serie A side Como, fighting for UEFA Champions League qualification with the Italian side.
"He's going to get other jobs, potentially Barcelona if Hansi Flick leaves, you're thinking he's going to be one of the names in here," Lescott said.
"It's the perfect opportunity for Chelsea, I don't think they'll get another opportunity like this to get Cesc.
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"I think he's going to have bigger options, more glamorous things for him, but they need to definitely adapt their train of thought."
Only Burnley (three) have picked up fewer points than Chelsea's five in their past 10 Premier League fixtures but they remain with a chance of silverware this season, facing Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
They will be led by interim head coach Calum McFarlane, who came in for his second temporary spell in charge following the dismissal of Rosenior.
Chelsea hierarchy 'paying price for interference'
Maresca's position as head coach appeared untenable when he publicly spoke out about feeling a lack of support in his position, before he was dismissed by the club on New Year's Day.
His reign was the longest of any manager at Stamford Bridge since Thomas Tuchel was sacked by the new ownership in September 2022.
And TNT Sports expert Martin Keown thinks the Chelsea hierarchy are now "paying the price" for meddling with the football department, stemming back to what he felt was a mistake in letting Tuchel leave.
"BlueCo have spent £1.5 billion, the team seems to be totally in disarray," Keown said. "I thought Thomas Tuchel was a very good manager at the beginning and they got rid of him, so perhaps too much interference.
"Maresca seemed to have enough of it and they're paying the price now for interference. Maresca was a good manager.
"The players, as soon as they have their first international period away, that's where you find out what's going on on the inside, not too happy, [Enzo] Fernandez saying things, was banned. The manager's been sacked.
"It's as bad as I've seen Chelsea for some time."
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Glenn Hoddle feels that now is the time for Chelsea to come together as one and have an open, honest dialogue about their predicament.
Otherwise the former England manager cannot see a way Chelsea will conquer City to lift the FA Cup.
"There's a disillusionment within the players at the people above, at the top," Hoddle said.
"Chelsea have changed so many managers over the years, but they bring in trophies all the time. Even last year, they brought in two trophies.
"If I was at Chelsea now I'd call for a meeting with everyone, owners, players, management and staff, all to sit down and talk, thrash this out.
"Because there's only one way it'll go, that's on a downward spiral. I can't see them having any chance of beating City with that mentality and spirit around the camp."
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Joe Hart, meanwhile, is struggling to see desire among Chelsea's squad to banish their recent malaise.
"You've got to want salvation," he said. "That Chelsea team, you don't know who is dying for the badge at the moment.
"Reece James, you can tell he's a product of the academy. Other players, they seem like they have other things, other motivations going on in their life, which we all do. Nobody is perfect.
"But when it's difficult and you need to dig deep, you need to have that feel, that connection. No one is quite understanding what's going on, who's their manager, who's going to be their manager next season.
"But there's star quality, they showed that in the semi-final, they dusted if off at Wembley, but it will be a different proposition against City."
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