Chelsea Looked at Managerial Alternatives to Mourinho

Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup has revealed Chelsea made an approach regarding becoming the new manager at Stamford Bridge.

Laudrup guided the Swans to ninth in the Premier League and to the League Cup; the first major trophy in the club's history, during his first season at the Liberty Stadium.

The Dane was linked with leaving Swansea in the summer after falling out with chairman Huw Jenkins regarding the club's transfer dealings prior to nine new signings being made which included the signing Wilfried Bony for a club record £12m fee.

Rafael Benitez took over from sacked boss Roberto di Matteo at Chelsea last November and took the club to third in the Premier League and won them the Europa League during his interim spell in charge.

Jose Mourinho has since returned to Chelsea after leaving Real Madrid, for a second spell in west London after rebuilding his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich but Laudrup claims he was a candidate for the vacant position.

"Someone tried to know my availability through intermediaries, but there was nothing concrete," Laudrup told A Bola. "Also, I had given my word that I would be in Swansea."

Since replacing Brendan Rodgers in the summer of 2012, Laudrup has helped cement Swansea's Premier League status and qualify for the Europa League and has earned plenty of plaudits for his footballing philosophy as well as his shrewd dealings in the transfer window.

Laudrup signed Michu and Jonathan de Guzman among others in his first summer in south Wales, with the former going on to score 22 goals in his first season while the latter netted twice in the League Cup final win over Bradford City.

The revelation that Chelsea approached Laudrup prior to the appointment of Mourinho will add fuel to the theory that the Portuguese manager was not Abramovich's first choice to replace Benitez ahead of the new season.

The pair departed in acrimonious circumstances after Mourinho's first spell at Chelsea ended in 2007. The Portuguese boss won two league titles, two League Cups and the FA Cup in over three seasons at the club but a board-room power struggle reportedly contributed to his exit.