Chelsea backed to appoint Zidane as manager

Chelsea should consider bringing in France and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane as their new manager, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Potter under pressure

The Blues are having a season to forget currently, initially struggling under Thomas Tuchel and now also doing badly with Graham Potter in charge.

While the Englishman appears to just about have the support of Chelsea’s board currently, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the club were also looking at potential replacements, with the likes of Jose Mourinho and Zidane linked in recent days.

The Blues take on rivals Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend, and one has to wonder what the state of play will look like if they cannot pick up a positive result.

The Latest: Jones reacts

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said Chelsea should indeed think about appointing the 50-year-old Real Madrid legend as Potter’s replacement:

“With Zinedine Zidane, I think you absolutely have to consider whether he could bring something different.

“All of these people need to be talked about on a case-by-case basis internally at Chelsea, to get a clear grasp on what they would bring to the table right now, whether they would be likely to change the situation, why they would be able to change it, and how that compares to what they’ve currently got in place with Graham Porter and what he’s trying to do.”

The Verdict: Proven winner

In many ways, Zidane is actually a hugely underrated manager during this era, at a time where the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp receive far more accolades.

What the Frenchman did during his stint as Real Madrid boss was extraordinary, winning the Champions League three times in a row between 2016 and 2018, as well as taking home two La Liga titles.

Zidane is someone who possesses an aura and who could attract the best players – he is Kylian Mbappe’s hero, for example – and there is every chance that his experience working with big money superstars could allow him to do a better job than Potter.

While it is refreshing to see the current Chelsea manager being given time, results do now have to improve drastically to avoid a change being made, starting at Tottenham on Sunday.