Former Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli has said the chance to manage Chelsea was "very tempting" but he felt his English was not good enough to take on the role.
Chelsea are expected to appoint Antonio Conte, who confirmed on Tuesday that he will leave Italy after Euro 2016, as a permanent replacement for Jose Mourinho this summer.
Sources had previously told ESPN FC that Sampaoli was on Chelsea's shortlist for the role, but the Argentine said he did not have sufficient command of the language to revive the club's fortunes.
Sampaoli, who finished third in the voting for the 2015 FIFA World Coach of the Year award, told Argentine radio station Vorterix: "It was difficult, as the reality was the big possibility I had was to shake up a group of players by communication.
"For that, my English would have to be perfect. That would take me some time, and these big clubs do not allow you that."
The radio host then asked the 2015 Copa America winner whether, as an Argentine, it would be difficult to move to England given the ongoing tension between the nations over the Falkland Islands.
"It would have been difficult," the 56-year-old coach said. "There is a huge amount of history in play, and as the talks advance there are the negative internal feelings that tell you, 'You cannot go there,' but also, 'The project is very tempting -- we could win the Champions League.'
"I had a lot of contradictory thoughts."
Conte, who confirmed he is leaving Italy to resume club management, is reported to have been taking English lessons for several months in preparation for the role.
ESPN FC's Spain correspondent, Dermot Corrigan, contributed to this report.