Guardian: Chelsea ‘notify’ Ipswich of interest in Kieran McKenna, ‘confident’ of swift resolution

Kieran McKenna appears to be at the top of our managerial search shortlist — and it’s a pretty short list, with maybe 4-5 names on it at most — and it looks like we’re wasting no time in securing his signature to become the latest BlueCo puppet project manager.

According to The Guardian this evening (Wednesday), we have “notified” Ipswich Town that we want the 38-year-old to become our next head coach, and we are “confident” in “swiftly” concluding this successor search. We made a big deal out of an “exhaustive” search last summer that only resulted in a manager who once again seems to have found himself at odds with the galaxy-braintrust in the club’s hierarchy, so maybe fourth time will be the charm. Fifth time? I lose count.

The report adds that we made contact with McKenna’s representatives “several weeks” ago, and while others may be interested as well — namely Brighton & Hove Albion — this time we might skip the whole Seagulls thing and go directly to the source. McKenna, for his part, has certainly not ruled out leaving Ipswich.

If, despite our unwavering confidence, we strike out with McKenna, his fellow promotion-winning manager, Enzo Maresca of Leicester City is apparently next highest on the list, but it sounds like he might less keen on jumping ship. And the same is true of Sebastian Hoeneß, who recently signed a new deal at VfB Stuttgart.

So, McKenna then? What could possibly go wrong.