Ruben Amorim and Chelsea are in conversation as Chelsea looks for a permanent manager
In their continued quest for a long-term replacement for Graham Potter, Chelsea has spoken to highly regarded Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim.
Amorim, 38, was one of the candidates Chelsea's top officials were eager to speak with about the position during what they intend to be an "exhaustive" search for a new manager.
Chelsea already committed to moving slowly, and the addition of Frank Lampard temporarily has given them more time and space to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
The two top prospects are former Spain manager Luis Enrique, who is also unemployed and available after leaving Bayern Munich, and available Julian Nagelsmann. Both have been contacted.
In Nagelsmann
Although Amorim was previously on Chelsea's radar before Potter's appointment in September, he has impressed with his work in Portugal and is back on it now.
Following a brief stint as the leader of Braga, Amorim has been in control of Sporting since March 2020.
He has guided the Lisbon team to a fourth-place finish, their first league championship since 2000 in 2021, and runners-up in the previous campaign.
He also led Sporting into the last eight of this season's Europa League. He has also won three Portuguese league cups during his time at Braga and Sporting.
They fell to Juventus 1-0 in their first-leg match on Thursday after shocking Arsenal on penalties in the previous round.
Amorim signed a new contract with Sporting in November of last year, and it has an expiration date of 2026.
In the meantime, Lampard has urged his Chelsea teammates to start working hard to match their talent levels and put an end to their goal-scoring difficulties.
Chelsea has gone four games without scoring, their worst run in front of goal since 1993, and have lost all five of their recent encounters.
The club's all-time leading scorer and interim boss Lampard said: "The only way to solve it is through hard work and focus."Anything like that, whether it's collective or individual, it has to be the work process, and I'm a strong believer that if you do that amazing things happen. "The main thing that pushed me on [during his career] was my desire and willpower." Though some things may not seem straightforward, they are.
In Lampard's first game back at Wolves last week, he made a comeback, joining the action from the bench in the 1-0 loss.
Despite this, Lampard was unable to participate in Chelsea's Champions League match against Real Madrid on Wednesday because Potter did not include him in the team's preliminary round roster.
Aubameyang, who last started for Chelsea in November against his old team Arsenal, is expected to join Lampard's squad for today's visit from Brighton, increasing his chances of playing additional time.
When asked if Aubameyang would be the solution, Lampard responded, "Every position needs to have a high level of competition within the squad to earn a place in the team."
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