Liam Rosenior has expressed his admiration for the city of Strasbourg amidst circulating rumors about his potential appointment as the next Chelsea manager. However, some insiders speculate he might make an abrupt departure from his current role.

Rosenior, who previously managed Hull City and is now 41, is reportedly the frontrunner to replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea. Maresca left Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day following a significant disagreement with the team’s leadership.

Addressing these rumors on Friday, Rosenior told local media, “There’s a lot of noise and speculation, but as a coach, if you focus on that, you lose sight of your responsibilities. I am committed to my role here and have a deep affection for this club.”

The media pressed Rosenior further about the Chelsea speculation during a much-anticipated press conference. While he acknowledged being teased about the potential move, he confessed uncertainty about what the future holds.

Rosenior also mentioned having been in contact with Chelsea but suggested these interactions were due to their shared ownership under BlueCo, which controls both the Premier League and Ligue 1 teams.

Liam Rosenior insisted that he ‘loves’ Strasbourg when speaking on links to the Chelsea job

Rosenior has been accused of ‘leaving like a thief’ by sources reported in the French media

“Life offers no guarantees,” Rosenior remarked. “The future is always uncertain. My focus is on my current job, and while speculation is inevitable, I enjoy every moment here and can’t predict how long I’ll stay.”

‘I intend to continue doing so as long as I’m here. I love this club, but I can’t guarantee anything. Nobody can.’

The saga is reportedly causing unrest within the dressing room, with a source telling L’Equipe: ‘Rosenior would really leave like a thief. It’s incomprehensible. The team will implode; I see no other way out.’

Daily Mail Sport understands Rosenior is leading the race to take the Chelsea hot-seat. But the Strasbourg boss took training and addressed the media as normal ahead of his side’s league clash against OGC Nice.

Asked again why he hadn’t ruled out leaving the Alsace-based club by the media, Rosenior said: ‘I’m honest, you can never control everything in life. I could say I’m going to stay here for years and then get fired.’

BlueCo are admirers of Rosenior due to his work with the Ligue 1 sister club. However, bringing him to Stamford Bridge would leave them needing to make another managerial appointment.

He has them seventh in the league – and impressively beat Crystal Palace in November – but domestic results tailed off in December. Rosenior appeared to reiterate the long-term goals of the club but did not directly stress that he wanted to oversee them.

Rosenior is admired by BlueCo and said there have been ‘exchanges’ within the group

‘What we want is to continue to progress,’ he said. ‘Last year, we had a very good season. This year, the goal is to do even better. Better than seventh in Ligue 1. We also have a chance to win the Conference League. We are well placed on all fronts.’ 

He added: ‘The season is still long. The objectives are clear, we have a lot of ambition. The club is progressing.’

Chelsea face Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday and have asked their Under 21 head coach Calum McFarlane, along with his assistants, to prepare the players for that trip to the Etihad Stadium.

There has been no confirmation yet on whether Maresca’s backroom staff members are staying or leaving, including his assistant Willy Caballero.

The aim is for a new manager to continue working under the same system as Maresca, and to avoid the need to make major changes midway through a season in which the club remain fifth, despite their recent run.

Club bosses — including co-owner Behdad Eghbali and sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart — had talks Thursday morning and Maresca’s exit was confirmed soon after.

The writing had been on the wall for Maresca after a spectacular outburst in which he claimed he had endured ‘his worst 48 hours’ following a victory over Everton.

It is thought that the claim related to serious friction between the manager and the medical department and a continuing difference of opinion over the management of injured players and their returns to action.