Former Barcelona FC coach Pep Guardiola, who is currently on sabbatical with his family in New York City, “has made it known to his close circle of advisors that Chelsea is his preferred choice” when he decides to return to coaching, the Daily Mail reports. Apparently, the 41-year-old is attracted to the types of players that Chelsea is signing, namely, Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar.

Under Guardiola, Barcelona had an astonishing 72 percent winning record in La Liga. He is widely credited with taking Frank Rijkaard’s 2006 UEFA Champions League-winning team to another level, which culminated in the 3-1 defeat of Manchester United at Wembley in 2011. Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta all rose to prominence during Guardiola's reign.