Town boss Kieran McKenna is one of Chelsea’s top targets as they look to replace Mauricio Pochettino, who left by mutual consent earlier this week.

TWTD understands Leicester’s Enzo Maresca heads the Stamford Bridge club’s wishlist but with McKenna, currently the favourite with most bookies, also a very serious contender.

Ex-Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi is joint-favourite alongside McKenna with some bookmakers.

Former Hull City boss Liam Rosenior is perhaps surprisingly another of those who is viewed as a potential successor to Pochettino, while Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness, Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim and Girona’s Michel have also been linked.

Chelsea are understood to want to make their appointment quickly, while the less than smooth manner in which the club has been run in latter years will presumably give any of the candidates pause for thought before accepting the role.

Town meanwhile, are determined to do everything they can to keep McKenna at Portman Road with a new contract offer seeming inevitable, although with claims of a lucrative deal already being on the table believed to be premature.

Claims that McKenna is dead set on moving on from Town this summer appear similarly speculative.

Of the clubs understood to be interested in prising McKenna from Town following the Blues’ back-to-back promotions, Chelsea are believed to be the one most favoured by his representatives due to existing relationships between the two.

Early frontrunner Brighton’s move for the Northern Irishman seems to be on the back burner at the present time, while Francesco Farioli, recommended to the Seagulls by the exiting De Zerbi, is now widely reported to be joining Ajax from Nice.

The situation at Manchester United, also thought to have their former first-team coach on a list of potential next bosses, is likely to become clearer following Saturday’s FA Cup final with Erik ten Hag’s future in the balance.

Taking the rumour mill full circle, Pochettino has been linked with the Old Trafford job should Ten Hag depart.

Photo: TWTD

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 17:56 - May 23 Stato: Absolutely agree with you. Burley is the epitome of a club legend. He was a great player for us, he got us to the PL and then incredibly almost made the Champions' League, and he is still very much involved in the club whenever there are events/talks etc that need participation. In other words, he has been around ITFC all his life. Kieran will be fondly remembered if he goes, but he will not be part of the Ipswich community in the same way. Burley is an ITFC legend and hero!

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churchmans added 18:04 - May 23 Steve itfc Sweden Agree 100% but hopefully mckenna stats on and puts himself in to that category
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Boocat added 19:29 - May 23 I think McKenna is doing what any player would do. He is sitting tight, wait for the offers and then will negotiate a new contract.
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Linkboy13 added 19:30 - May 23 We were good enough to give McKenna his big chance in management and he's paid us back in bucket loads so he doesn't owe us anything. If he does go there will be no sour grapes from me just a massive thank you for doing such a remarkable job. As for saying Brighton wouldn't be a step up is ridiculous they are an established premier league team now. McKenna is ambitious like any other manager and knows the chance to move up the ladder might not come again. He's also a family man so they also come into the equation.

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SickParrot added 20:02 - May 23 I would be devastated if he leaves and I suspect the players would feel the same. I believe that he is virtually irreplaceable in the short term. I'm assuming that a new manager will only be able to bring in a few new players (as Kieran would) and that the majority of the team will be current players and I don't think any other manager can get as much out of those players as Kieran would. I had previously thought that Kieran was committed to the project here and that he would therefore honour his contract and I hope that he will. If he leaves us for Man Utd I will still be gutted but I will understand why he felt that it was an offer he couldn't refuse. If he leaves us for any other team I will feel let down, despite the two great seasons he gave us.

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Foreverbleedblue added 20:20 - May 23 I'm sorry to say I think this proves he's gone If Man Utd don't want him he will be going Chelsea https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/13142093/kieran-mckenna-manchester
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churchmans added 20:46 - May 23 Foreverbleedblue It does not prove f***all but admit it is a bit worrying
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ImAbeliever added 20:57 - May 23 Situation still better than being away to Accrington Stanley away midweek. This is now the new norm and what we all want. Keep the faith.
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Chorleytractor added 22:35 - May 23 I think that this has become such a fever pitch in the media that if KM has any intentions of staying he should say so. I cant really believe he would go to a club where he has no say on transfers etc and most of the squad earn more than the manager
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