Chelsea have reportedly invited Julian Nagelsmann to present his ideas ahead of a potential appointment as head coach.
Last week, the Blues announced that Frank Lampard had agreed to return to the club on a caretaker basis until the end of the season.
However, that move has been taken with the view of allowing the club's hierarchy to conduct a thorough process with regards to a long-term replacement for Graham Potter.
A report last week suggested that former Spain coach Luis Enrique had already travelled to London to hold discussions with the Chelsea board.
Meanwhile a separate claim has indicated that Marcelo Gallardo - the ex-River Plate manager - is also on the shortlist of the West Londoners ahead of a possible arrival in June.
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Nevertheless, Todd Boehly and co will continue to assess their options with no decision expected to be formally announced until the end of May at the very earliest.
According to Bild, Chelsea have made contact with Nagelsmann to invite the German to hold formal talks with them in the near future.
The Premier League giants allegedly want Nagelsmann to showcase the ideas that he has to take the club forward in the short and long term.
Nagelsmann, who remains just 35 years of age, was recently sacked as Bayern Munich manager, despite the club sitting just one point from top spot in the Bundesliga at the time.
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Since then, it has been maintained that Nagelsmann will not take another job until the summer at the very earliest, but there is said to be interest in taking the position at Chelsea.
That is despite the likelihood of Chelsea missing out on European football for 2023-24, their bid to win the Champions League made all the more difficult by their 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday night.
Chelsea sit in 11th position in the Premier League standings, seven points adrift of seventh-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, who they play on Saturday.
Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be admirers of Nagelsmann as they consider their own options ahead of next season.