Chelsea 'agree deal' for next manager with Lyon boss Sonia Bompastor to succeed Emma Hayes

Chelsea have reportedly struck a deal with Lyon's manager Sonia Bompastor to take over from the USWNT-bound Emma Hayes at the end of this season.

The Blues have been on the hunt for a new manager since Hayes announced her departure to become the head coach of the United States women's national team.

As per the Telegraph, Chelsea have now finalised an agreement for Bompastor and her assistant Camille Abily to join the club in the summer. Compensation has reportedly been settled with the French side, as Bompastor's contract was set to run until 2025.

Bompastor took the reins at Lyon in 2021, succeeding the dismissed Jean-Luc Vasseur. Her debut season saw Lyon clinch an impressive double, and has since transformed Lyon into one of the most formidable teams in women's football, having previously won the league unbeaten during her first full season.

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The 43-year-old has guided the club to two consecutive French titles and the Coupe de France in 2023. She is the only female head coach to have won the Women's Champions League in the past 15 years.

This month, Lyon will go head-to-head with rivals PSG in an all-French Women's Champions League semi-final, as they chase their ninth title. Bompastor may come up against her future employers as Chelsea are set to face current holders Barcelona in the second semi-final.