Chelsea have made contacts with former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique, with Arsenal set to miss out on the Spaniard as a result.

Enrique has been out of management since resigning from Barcelona last season.

According to Don Balon via Tribal Football, Arsenal approached Enrique about potentially replacing Arsene Wenger. However, he reportedly turned Arsenal down to keep himself free for the Chelsea job.

There’s an acceptance at Chelsea that current manager Antonio Conte will leave the club at the end of the season. As such, they’re reportedly sounding out replacements.

Antonio Conte of Chelsea
SINGAPORE – JULY 25: Chelsea FC team manager Antonio Conte looks during the International Champions Cup match between Chelsea FC and FC Bayern Munich at National Stadium on July 25, 2017 in Singapore. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images for ICC)

Enrique had a very successful spell at Barcelona, winning two La Liga titles, the Champions League and three Copas. He decided to leave the Spanish club towards the end of last season to take a break from football.

Arsenal have been linked with several managers in recent years as doubts about Wenger’s future at the club persist. As a free agent, Enrique would be an obvious choice should the time come to replace Wenger.

However, the Gunners boss has a contract until 2019, which means he’s unlikely to be replaced until then. The report doesn’t explain why Enrique would turn down Arsenal.

The fact that Arsene Wenger isn’t going anywhere any time soon could be a big reason.