A former Real Madrid manager was spotted at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea suffered yet another crushing home defeat in the Premier League.
The Blues lost their second home game of the season as Mauricio Pochettino’s side succumbed to Unai Emery’s Aston Villa last weekend.
Ollie Watkin’s second-half strike condemned Chelsea to their third league defeat of the season, having also lost to West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.
Pressure is already mounting on Pochettino, who only joined the club in the summer.
The 51-year-old has called for patience amid Chelsea’s miserable start to the new campaign.
But if Todd Boehly did pull the plug on the former Southampton, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss, then could Julen Lopetegui replace him at the helm?
Well, Lopetegui was in attendance at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s latest defeat, according to Birmingham World.
The Spaniard, who managed Wolves last season, was spotted both entering and leaving a hospitality suite and is said to be holding out for a return to the Premier League.
He had a short spell at Wolves, where he led the club to 13th place in the table. The 57-year-old left the Midlands outfit in the summer.
Lopetegui, who has taken charge of Real, Sevilla and the Spain national team, has been out of work since leaving Wolves, but seems to be eyeing a managerial gig in England’s top flight.
Pochettino, meanwhile, said his Chelsea team need to ‘grow up’ following their defeat to Villa.
“We need to grow up like a team, not only in an individual way,” he said. “I think players like Nico who are so young and feeling the Premier League, they need time.
“In this type of game, we are competing and want to win and football is about winning. But also players, when they are young, need to learn, and experience and make mistakes. That’s why we feel disappointed as there are too many situations like this.
Bruno Saltor has secretly left Chelsea less than four months after the club announced he would work as part of Mauricio Pochettino’s coaching staff, it has been claimed.
While Chelsea have not confirmed the details of Saltor’s departure, the Telegraph allege that the Blues have paid up the 42-year-old’s contract.
The former Brighton defender’s exit has not officially been communicated by Chelsea, with the club reportedly having opted against making a public announcement.
In turn, only two members of the team who joined Chelsea from the Seagulls with Graham Potter remain at the club – head of goalkeeping Ben Roberts and data analyst Kyle Macaulay.
Chelsea paid an alleged world record £21million to hire Potter and his staff from Brighton over a year ago, upon the departure of Thomas Tuchel.
However, the Blues have now paid up Potter and three members of his staff – Billy Reid, Bjorn Hamberg and Saltor.
Upon sacking Potter after just seven months in charge, Chelsea made Saltor take charge of a home encounter against Liverpool, which the club drew.
