Last Updated: Sat, 16 Feb 2013 09:32
Chelsea have asked about the possible summer availability of Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini, according to his agent Jesus Martinez.
The 59-year-old Chilean tactician is currently contracted to the Spanish La Liga outfit until summer 2015, but Martinez claims that he would relish the opportunity to manage in the Premier League and will make a decision on where his future lies by the end of the current campaign.
Pellegrini has been with Malaga for two seasons and guided the club to a fourth-placed finish last season, while they are also in the last 16 of this season's Champions League and currently sit fourth in the domestic table.
Italian side Roma were recently rebuffed when making an approach for Pellegrini to replace the sacked Zdenek Zeman, while Chelsea are now thought to be interested in taking the former Real Madrid and Villarreal coach to Stamford Bridge to replace interim boss Rafa Benitez.
Martinez, who claims there has been no official approach from last season's European champions, said in Chilean newspaper El Mercurio: "Manuel has a contract with Malaga. I think that in April and May we will be clear about what will happen with his future.
"Our first intention is to respect our commitment, but it also depends on what the conditions are.
"We had a formal offer from Roma, but we rejected it. It was less than 15 days ago, but we discarded it outright because we are in the middle of the season.
"Chelsea and other clubs have asked, but only through intermediaries, nothing official. Manuel would love to coach in the English Premier League, as he would in Germany, Italy and other important leagues.
"There's plenty of time to analyse what we will do next season."
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