Grant’s future at West Ham United will be reviewed at
the end of this season and even if he avoids relegation it is
understood that it is far from certain he will stay despite signing
a four-year deal last June.
West
Ham, who came close
to sacking Grant and replacing him with Martin O’Neill in January,
may decide that a parting of the ways is best for everyone given
the difficulties of this campaign.
Returning to
Chelsea – who offered Grant a job after he
left Portsmouth last year – would allow the 56 year-old to remain
in English football.
With the future of manager Carlo Ancelotti also in doubt,
Chelsea are considering a number of options as to how the club will
be run after the end of this season. Grant is not in the running to
become the next manager.
The impending departure of sporting director Frank Arnesen and
Lee Congerton, who was effectively his deputy, to Hamburg, means
that Chelsea have to undergo a reorganisation which will be
directly overseen by owner Roman Abramovich.
Congerton, the head of scouting, had been groomed as Arnesen’s
successor at Chelsea while two other senior associates of Arnesen,
Hans Gilhaus and Guy Hilion, are also leaving.
Chelsea are already pushing to appoint Steve Rowley as their new
chief scout, although it is understood he would prefer to remain at
Arsenal, while there will be an enhanced role for the highly-rated
performance director Mike Forde.
Guus Hiddink is also on Chelsea’s radar. He has endured a
troubled time as the coach of Turkey although he has already made
it clear he has no interest in returning to manage the club he took
control of on a temporary basis after the sacking of Luiz Felipe
Scolari.
He might, however, consider the director of football role
although it appears increasingly likely Chelsea will turn to Grant
first if they are to make an appointment at all. It could be that
the job is not offered to anyone as Chelsea review their
options.
The club is in no hurry. That is because part of Abramovich’s
thinking — as revealed by Telegraph Sport — is that the
Russian billionaire wants to take a more hands-on approach, for now
at least.
He involved himself directly with the January signings of
Fernando Torres and David Luiz and is also desperate for Chelsea to
promote more young talent through its academy.
Abramovich, according to sources, has felt things have been too
“cosy” at Chelsea with Ancelotti and Arnesen enjoying a close
relationship. That sense of frustration was partly responsible for
Abramovich sacking assistant manager Ray Wilkins and replacing him
with Michael Emenalo.
Emenalo was brought to Chelsea by Grant during his brief time as
manager and has quickly grown in influence at the club, where he is
listened to by Abramovich. Ancelotti had little say in his
appointment as his assistant. Emenalo appears underqualified for
the job.
Grant’s possible arrival is not linked to Ancelotti’s future.
The Italian has one more year on his contract after this season and
having privately voiced his own unhappiness earlier in the
campaign, after Wilkins was sacked, he has struggled as results
turned bad.
Abramovich is understood to be undecided over Ancelotti’s future
and is understood to have acknowledged privately to the manager
that he has not given him as much support as he should have done.
There is also an acknowledgement that Ancelotti deserves time
having delivered a league and cup double last season.
Ancelotti felt under severe pressure before Tuesday’s league
victory over Manchester United and there is a sense at the club,
and from those close to the manager, that he is likely to
leave.
He has already been linked to a return to Roma although he has
also expressed a desire to stay in England.
On Thursday Ruggiero Rizzitelli, a former team-mate of Ancelotti
at Roma, claimed: “I believe there are negotiations with Ancelotti
and Roma already. The new owners are negotiating with
Ancelotti.”
The Italian banking group, UniCredit, is currently in control of
Roma and is in talks to sell to the Italian-American businessman
Thomas Di Benedetto, who is also involved with the Boston Red
Sox.
Di Benedetto has already promised he will invest heavily and
that he will also appoint a permanent coach to succeed Vicenzo
Montella, who was put in temporary charge after Claudio Ranieri’s
resignation last month.
Di Benedetto would like Ancelotti as Ranieri’s replacement.
Interestingly Ranieri was Ancelotti’s guest at Chelsea’s
training ground on Thursday, the first time the club’s former
manager had visited the facility.