Dennis Wise says his former team-mate and coaching colleague Gustavo Poyet could be in contention to become Chelsea manager.
Wise and Poyet played together at Stamford Bridge before working together in management, with the Argentine now going it alone as coach of Championship side Brighton and Hove Albion.
It is expected interim manager Rafael Benitez will leave Chelsea when his short-term contract runs out in May.
And former England international Wise has said Poyet could be among those considered as the next manager of the west London outfit.
“Maybe, possibly, yes,” he said, when asked if Poyet could take over at Stamford Bridge.
“If you said to me three years ago Roberto Di Matteo would be Chelsea manager, you’d never think it. Also to win the trophies he did for Chelsea that no other manager could do, sometimes people’s dreams come true,” he said, referring to another ex team-mate’s successor in the Chelsea dugout last term.
“So maybe Gus could take up that role.”
Chelsea have struggled for consistency this season, surrendering their Champions League crown in the group stages.
Nevertheless, they remain third on the Premier League table, and in contention for honours at home and abroad.
“They can still get into the UEFA Champions League which is important to the club,” Wise said.
“They can still win the Europa League and they can still win the FA Cup. I think if they achieved all three of them it wouldn’t be so bad.
“Clubs have dips, they go up and down and have periods through the season where the press have a bit of a go. It’s Chelsea’s turn now, it was Arsenal’s last week, it was Roberto Mancini’s the week before and it’ll be someone else next week. That’s what happens with the press, you have to go along with it, deal with it and it makes you stronger.
“I believe Chelsea will finish in the top four. They’ve got a fantastic chance in the Europa League and I think they’ve also got a great chance of beating Manchester United in the FA Cup. I’d like to think so.”
Chelsea’s next match is a Europa League round-of-16 clash away to Romanian side Steaua Bucharest on Thursday.
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