Italy Coach Conte Linked To Chelsea Role

The 46-year-old Italy coach is understood to have held productive talks with Blues director Marina Granovskaia on Thursday during a meeting in London.

Chelsea have also looked at outgoing Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini, but it seems more likely that the next Stamford Bridge boss will be an Italian.

The Italy manager, who managed the Old Lady for three years between 2011 and 2014, has allegedly agreed a deal to take over at Stamford Bridge from next season.

Current head coach of the Italian national team Conte, Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri, Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid and former Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli are among the frontrunners for the role.

Speculation about Chelsea‘s new manager has been rife ever since the sacking of fan favourite Jose MHiddink Wants Chelsea to Be Transparent About their Next Appointmentourinho. Conte has brought a new mentality to the club. Pedullà reported previously that Man United were looking at €30million; one would assume that Chelsea would be asked for a similar amount (if not more).

Conte is believed to have already told the FIGC – the Italian football federation – that he wants to return to club management after this summer’s tournament.

Roman Abramovich will give Chelsea’s next manager a £130m($180m) transfer war chest, with the club set to spend some of it on Everton defender John Stones and Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal.

“I am in favour of when things are done and are made transparent”, Hiddink was quoted saying in the Daily Mirror.

It has been an odd season for Chelsea.

Conte does not want uncertainty over his own future to overshadow Italy’s preparations for this summer’s European Championship in France which they have not won since 1968.

Chelsea are refusing to comment.

Metro, citing Italian publication CalcioMercatoNews, state Chelsea’s search for a box-to-box midfielder has seen them place Pogba’s Juventus team-mate Claudio Marchisio at the top of their summer wish-list. Pogba was quick to become a world-class player after moving to Juve and shows a great appreciation for Conte thanks to that.