Liam Rosenior on Tuesday said he has “verbally agreed” to become Chelsea’s next manager, describing the role as “an opportunity I cannot turn down.”
Speaking at a press conference at his current club, Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, the 41-year-old confirmed that an agreement with the Premier League club had been reached and that the move was expected to be finalised shortly.
“It looks like I am going to be the next manager of that football club (Chelsea),” Rosenior said. “Everything is agreed and it will probably go through in the next few hours.”
Chelsea are yet to officially confirm the appointment, but talks were held with Rosenior in London on Monday following the sacking of Enzo Maresca last Thursday.
Rosenior has been widely tipped as Maresca’s successor, partly due to the shared ownership of Chelsea and Strasbourg by the BlueCo consortium. He will become Chelsea’s fourth permanent manager since BlueCo took control in 2022.
The former Hull City boss said he chose to address the issue publicly in Strasbourg out of respect for the club.
“I’m here because I care about this club and I felt it was right to answer your questions physically here today before I move on,” he said.
Rosenior, who has no prior Premier League coaching experience, has built his managerial career steadily. After working with Brighton’s under-23s, he joined Derby County’s coaching staff in 2019, serving under Phillip Cocu and later Wayne Rooney. He briefly took charge as interim manager in 2022 before being appointed Hull City boss later that year.
Following his dismissal from Hull after 18 months, Rosenior joined Strasbourg in July 2024 and guided the club to a seventh-place finish last season.
If confirmed, the move will mark the biggest step of his career — and place him under intense scrutiny at Stamford Bridge.
