
According to reports, Chelsea are in advanced talks with Lyon over appointing the their current manager, Sonia Bompastor, to replace the outgoing Emma Hayes.
ESPN claims all parties are optimistic an agreement can be reached before the end of the current campaign.
Emma Hayes had announced earlier this season that this will be her final year as Chelsea coach, as she’s set to take a break from football.
Sonia Bompastor has now caught the attention of the Chelsea board, as the former France midfielder has been doing an impressive job at Lyon, winning France’s Division 1 Féminine title in the last two seasons and in 2022 becoming the first person to win the Women’s Champions League as both a player and a manager.
Since taking over in April 2021, Bompastor has lost only five of her 94 games in charge.
Sonia Bompastor has an impressive CV, and will be taking over from an Emma Hayes who has been brilliant all through her tenure as Chelsea manager.
Hayes has guided Chelsea to six Women’s Super League (WSL) titles since she took charge in 2012, alongside winning five FA Cups.
The Blues are currently top of the WSL table, level on points with Manchester City.
Bompastor’s team is in a similar position, as Lyon are top of the French top flight this season and in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Reports also claim that Sonia Bompastor is keen on the Chelsea job. She still has a year left on her contract with the French champions, but is ready to take her career to the next level.
Interestingly, Chelsea and Lyon are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and both teams could meet in the Champions League final, as they are on a different side of the draw. Chelsea have a 3-0 lead from the away first leg of their quarterfinal with Ajax, while Lyon have a 2-1 lead from their first leg at Benfica.