Manuel Pellegrini’s agent claims an intermediary representing Chelsea has sounded him out about the availability of the Malaga coach.

Jesus Martinez also told a Chilean newspaper that Pellegrini would love to manage in the Premier League one day and will make a decision about his future soon.

Chilean Pellegrini, who has a contract with Malaga until June 2015, has been a huge success at the Spanish club since taking charge two years ago. The 59-year-old led them to a fourth-placed finish last season and this term has guided them through to the last 16 of their maiden Champions League campaign as well as keeping them near the top of the Primera Division.

That has not gone unnoticed across Europe and, according to Martinez, Roma were recently in contact following the sacking of Zdenek Zeman.

Martinez also said other clubs had been in touch about the former Real Madrid and Villarreal boss, including Chelsea, whose interim manager Rafael Benitez’s contract runs out at the end of the season.

Chelsea have been linked with Pellegrini in the past but the club have not publicly acknowledged an interest, and Martinez stressed he has not received an official approach.

Martinez said in El Mercurio: “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.”

A senior member of the English Football Association’s referee department has been suspended following his second arrest in four months. Dean Mohareb, a football league referee and the FA’s national referee development manager, was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of conspiring to pervert the course of justice in relation to a CID investigation into computer hacking.