Chelsea are taking steps into hiring a new full-time manager.

Former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann appeared all but likely to be the next boss given the timing of his surprising sacking coinciding with Graham Potter's dismissal.

However, Blues chairman Todd Boehly decided to bring in former manager Frank Lampard earlier this month as interim boss until the end of the season.

Unfortunately for Chelsea fans, there hasn't been any new manager bounce as Lampard has lost all four of his games managed so far, including a most recent 2-0 (4-0 aggregate) defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday to confirm a trophyless season for the club.

As things stand, Nagelsmann still remains the favorite to take over long term according to football insider Fabrizio Romano. However, he also revealed the Blues have made contact with former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino in the last days.

There is nothing advanced yet, but it's notably the first time Chelsea have made contact with Pochettino since last summer.

“Chelsea have also contacted Mauricio Pochettino in the last few days,” Romano tweeted on Thursday. “It’s the first direct approach after last summer when he was in the list.

“Nothing advanced yet, Nagelsmann remains favourite. Talks will continue, as Chelsea want to be 100% sure of their choice.”

Pochettino managed Tottenham — Chelsea's rivals — for five years from 2014 to 2019 until he was sacked. His last managerial position was with Paris Saint-Germain during the 2021-22 season where he won Ligue 1, but was ultimately dismissed for his failure in the Champions League.