Chelsea hold talks with Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim as they search for a new permanent boss

Chelsea have spoken with highly regarded Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim in their ongoing search for a permanent successor to Graham Potter.

Amorim, 38, was one of the names Chelsea’s chiefs were keen to discuss the vacancy with in what they plan to be an “exhaustive” search for a new manager.

Chelsea were already determined not to rush the process and the appointment of Frank Lampard on an interim basis has given them more time and space to conduct a thorough search.

Julian Nagelsmann, available after his departure from Bayern Munich, and former Spanish boss Luis Enrique, also unemployed, are two top candidates and both have also been discussed.

Nagelsmann in particular is believed to have influential support among the Chelsea hierarchy.

The Blues have struggled this season and look unlikely to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League after losing their first quarter-final 2-0 to Real Madrid.

Todd Boehly’s side have failed to score in four straight games or win any of their last five

However, Amorim has impressed with his work in Portugal and is back on Chelsea’s radar after Potter was appointed in September.

Amorim has been in charge of Sporting since March 2020, after a brief stint as leader of Braga.

He has guided the Lisbon club to a fourth-place finish, their first league title since 2000 in 2021 and second place last season.

He also won three Portuguese league cups in his time at Braga and Sporting, also guiding the latter to the round of 16 of the Europa League.

They lost their first-leg tie against Juventus 1-0 on Thursday after stunning Arsenal on penalties in the final round.

In November last year, Amorim signed a new contract with Sporting that runs until 2026 and has insisted he will not break that deal unless the buyout clause in his deal is paid.

Meanwhile, Lampard has told his Chelsea players that they simply need to work hard to match their level of talent and end their goalscoring woes.

Former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique (L) and Julian Nagelsmann (R) also remain in the picture

Results have not improved since Chelsea parted ways with Graham Potter earlier this month

Chelsea have gone four consecutive games without scoring, their worst run in front of goal since 1993, or winning any of their last five.

“The only way to solve this is through hard work and focus,” said caretaker manager Lampard, also the club’s record goalscorer.

“The main thing that propelled me forward [during his career] was my own desire and willpower.

“Something like that, whether it’s collective or individual, it has to be the work process and I’m a big believer that once you do that, good things happen. It sounds simple, but some things are simple.’

He returned in Lampard’s first game against Wolves last week, coming off the bench in the 1-0 loss.

Although Lampard was denied his services in Wednesday’s Champions League match against Real Madrid after Potter opted not to include him in Chelsea’s squad for the knockout stages.

Aubameyang, who last started for Chelsea in November against former club Arsenal, is on the verge of returning to Lampard’s squad for Brighton’s visit today, which will see him add even more minutes into the game.

When asked if Aubameyang could be the answer, Lampard said: “The competitive nature in the side to get a place in the team has to be high in every position.

Interim boss Frank Lampard stressed his squad will only take shape ‘through hard work and focus’

“Everyone has to compete in training and show that they are worthy of their place. History says he has a fantastic goalscoring record, so we’ll see.’

One player with little to prove to Lampard is midfielder Mason Mount, who has suffered a slump this season amid a contract stalemate that has cast doubt on his future at Chelsea.

Lampard said: “I’m not going to tell anyone what opinion they should have of football, but if anyone thinks Mason Mount isn’t a top tier player yet then I’m not sure what they’re seeing, in my opinion.” Form is something that people can discuss.

“But you can ask yourself, Thomas Tuchel, Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter, obviously he’s a top player. He can go further, but he is already a top player.’