We've finally heard it from the horse's mouth as Liam Rosenior has confirmed that he will become Chelsea's next manager.
After Enzo Maresca left the club on New Year's Day, the Blues have moved quickly to appoint Rosenior, whom they know quite well from time at BlueCo-owned Strasbourg.
Calum McFarlane, who was in the dugout for the 1-1 draw against Manchester City, will manage Chelsea for the game against Fulham tomorrow.
But for now, all the focus is likely to shift to Rosenior, who announced at a press conference that he will be moving to Stamford Bridge immediately.
The Englishman made a name for himself in France with his free-flowing brand of football coupled with his faith in young players, making Strasbourg one of the most exciting projects in world football.
They are currently sixth in the Ligue 1 table and look primed to secure European football once again next season, having qualified for the UEFA Europa League at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Rosenior was in London earlier this week to thrash out the final details as he returned to Strasbourg to announce his departure.
And now, he has done just that, admitting that the opportunity to manage Chelsea was too much to turn down.
He said (quotes via Fabrizio Romano): “Being Chelsea coach is an unbelievable opportunity at an incredible club, the world champions."
“I can go home, see my kids, sign for a magnificent club. I can’t turn down this opportunity."
“These 18 months at Strasbourg have been my best time."
There are fewer than 36 hours to go for Chelsea's next Premier League game as they make the short trip to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham in the West London derby.
McFarlane will be in the dugout for that one due to the short turnaround time between games.
However, the FA Cup clash against Charlton Athletic on Sunday will be Rosenior's first game in charge of Chelsea.
He won't have too much time to implement his philosophy for Charlton, but in the coming weeks, he will take a closer look at his players and try to do just that as he aims to endear himself to the Chelsea faithful.
The Blues have endured a bit of a turbulent spell in recent weeks, so Rosenior undoubtedly has his work cut out for him to take the step up to the Premier League from Strasbourg.
