Liam Rosenior has already frozen out one Chelsea star and issued ban – with three ex-players in current Blues squad
Andrey Santos could go from Chelsea squad member to a regular first team starter should Liam Rosenior be appointed.
The Strasbourg head coach is the favourite to succeed Enzo Maresca at Stamford Bridge after the Italian left his role in west London on New Year’s Day.
The 45-year-old, who is viewed as a successor for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, guided Chelsea to the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup during his 18 months in the capital.
And Rosenior has been instilled as the frontrunner to succeed Maresca at Chelsea.
The 41-year-old took over as Strasbourg boss in the same summer Maresca swapped Leicester for the Blues, taking over from Patrick Vieira at the BlueCo club as he penned a three-year deal with the French side.
Strasbourg’s performances under Rosenior have caught the eye, with the French outfit finishing seventh in France’s top tier last term to secure a European spot.
The BlueCo hierarchy are hoping for a similar impact under Rosenior, with the players expecting the Englishman to succeed Maresca sooner rather than later.
Rosenior’s return to England could prove a positive for a number of fringe stars, particularly those who have worked under the former Hull boss in the past.
Good news for…
Andrey Santos was a key player under Rosenior during his loan at Strasbourg last season, with it expected he would play a prominent role for the Blues this term as a result of his dazzling displays.
However, Santos has found playing time hard to come by this season – starting just four league matches as he plays second fiddle to Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.
Rosenior, whose Strasbourg side went into the winter break seventh in Ligue 1 in the midst of a four-game winless run, has pined for the 21-year-old to beef up the midfield.
Following Strasbourg’s 0-0 draw with Lorient last month, Rosenior said of Santos: “We miss him. He was huge on set pieces. Today, there are things that are unacceptable from corners, from free-kicks.”
European football broadcaster Andy Brassell has explained that the expected-Blues boss was longing for the Brazil international to return.
“The other interesting thing that Rosenior said after the game against Lorient at the weekend, when he was talking about getting players who can follow his instructions, he was saying, ‘We really miss Andrey Santos’,” Brassell explained to talkSPORT.com.
“Which is quite interesting because obviously, he’s had a little bit of a go at Chelsea. I wonder if it’s past the point where he can go back to Strasbourg, really.
“Because he’s not incapable of playing Premier League games, there’s no doubt about that. But he is someone they would love back.
“There’s absolutely no doubt about that because they feel, and Rosenior feels, he is the guy who can kind of unlock the door, really, for them. So it’ll be interesting to see if something happens with that in the future.”
It’s not just in the middle of the park where Rosenior will enjoy some familiarity.
Chelsea have been linked with a January move for AC Milan shotstopper Mike Maignan.
The Frenchman’s contract expires in the summer and he is expected to leave the Serie A powerhouse, either in the January window or at the end of the season.
The Blues came close to signing Maignan last year, only for Rossoneri boss Max Allegri to block the deal.
Chelsea were expected to return for Maignan in the winter window, but Rosenior’s appointment may throw any possible deal into question.
Rosenior has previously worked with current first-choice shotstopper Robert Sanchez.
The pair played together a handful of times for Brighton’s Under-23s, while the Spaniard was also briefly coached by Rosenior when he was named as the assistant manager for the U23 side.
Additionally, Rosenior’s impending Chelsea appointment works in Mike Penders’ favour.
The young Belgian joined the Blues from Genk last summer and was immediately loaned to Strasbourg, where he has started 15 of 16 league matches under Rosenior.
Could go either way for…
Rosenior’s expected move to Chelsea isn’t all good news for the club’s current stars.
Liam Delap, who moved to Chelsea from Ipswich over the summer, played under Rosenior during their time together at Hull.
The current Strasbourg head coach has previously professed his “love” for the England hopeful, stating: “He is one of a kind and I love him. He is probably the player who I shout at the most in training. But he is a player I enjoy working with a lot as well.”
However, while Rosenior is a big fan of Delap, eight of the 27 starts under the then-Tigers boss came from the right wing.
Similarly, future Blues striker Emmanuel Emegha may prove a hit for Chelsea, who confirmed in September that he will move to the Premier League powerhouse next summer.
The young Dutchman, dubbed the ‘Next Zlatan Ibrahimovic’, was captain for Strasbourg last season – chipping in with 14 goals and three assists.
“Everything’s coming together for Emegha in that if he reaches the Premier League in 2026 and does well, he’s going to be the Netherlands starting forward for Euro 2028, that’s pretty clear,” Brassell told talkSPORT.com.
“He’s still young, of course. But given his age, he’s got a decent amount of experience in French football.
“I think he’s a gifted leader of the line. He makes good runs. He’s strong. He’s a good finisher.”
Conversely, Emegha has been frozen out by Rosenior this season having started just four league matches.
What’s more, the 22-year-old was suspended by Strasbourg for the 1-0 loss at Toulouse last month as the French side claimed Emegha has failed to respect ‘the values, expectations and rules’ of the club.
“Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace has decided to suspend Emmanuel Emegha for its next Ligue 1 match, this Saturday December 6 in Toulouse,” a statement from the French outfit read.
“This decision was taken following the player’s recent failure to respect the club’s values, expectations and rules.
“Racing reaffirms its commitment to the essential principles of exemplary conduct and respect for the collective framework.
“Emmanuel remains an important member of our team, who has always given his all for the club on the pitch. He will be reintegrated into the squad after this match. No further comments will be made.”
Bad news for…
Emegha isn’t the only youngster that struggled for regular action under Rosenior at Strasbourg this season.
Teenage starlet Kendry Paez, like Penders, joined Strasbourg on loan from Chelsea in the 2025 summer transfer window.
The Ecuadorian has been likened to Argentina icon Lionel Messi by former footballer Carlos Tenorio, who told L’Equipe: “He has everything to be better than Leo Messi, better than Neymar, but it depends on him and his entourage.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen a player with these characteristics. I think he has everything to become one of the most important players in world football.”
Paez, though, has failed to break into the Strasbourg first team having made just four league starts for the UEFA Conference League hopefuls.
Diego Moreira, meanwhile, enjoyed a significant upturn in fortunes under Rosenior at Strasbourg.
The 21-year-old, who plays as either a left midfielder or left wing-back, failed to make a league appearance for Chelsea and struggled to make an impact during a brief loan stint with Lyon during the 2023/24 term.
The ‘new Marcelo‘ moved to Strasbourg permanently last summer and has become a mainstay for the French side.
“What we have seen since Rosenior has been at Strasbourg is that he is not just an intelligent, engaging guy in front of the cameras,” European football expert Andy Brassell told talkSPORT.com.
“He’s an exceptional coach and developer of players. And we saw that with Diego Moreira, who was formerly at Chelsea, who has really been transformed under Rosenior.
“He was someone who went out from Chelsea on loan to Lyon, looked absolutely nowhere near ready for top-flight football.
“Then a year later, he goes to Strasbourg, and all of a sudden, he’s one of the best wing-backs in the league because he changes his position.
“He’s so good, not just with the ball, but without the ball as well. His defensive awareness is fantastic now.
“In terms of scoring and creating, the runs he makes, the awareness that he’s got when Strasbourg are out of possession, all of those parts of his games, really, Rosenior has absolutely transformed him. It’s amazing.”
Chelsea committed a transfer error as the failed to include a buy-back clause in the £1.7million deal that saw Moreira swap England for France 18 months’ ago.
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