Reports: Premier League coach may replace Antonio Conte at Chelsea
What’s the rumour?
As per reports from The Sun, Chelsea want Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino to succeed Antonio Conte. The Italian has come under fire for a meek title defence this season and Chelsea are eyeing suitable replacements.
In case you didn't know...
Conte took over the reins at Chelsea ahead of the 2016-17 campaign and led them to the league title in his debut season. However, they have looked a shadow of their former selves this time around. They are currently fifth in the league table, were knocked out by Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 and also exited the EFL Cup at the hands of London rivals Arsenal.
They are in a tight race to finish in the top-four and the FA Cup, in which they find themselves in the semi-finals, is their only shot at silverware.
The heart of the matter
Pochettino has won many people's hearts as a result of his exploits with Tottenham and he has even been linked with the Real Madrid job. The Argentinean, however, has expressed his desire to stay put at Tottenham, refusing to be drawn into transfer speculation.
Conte could get the sack this season and Chelsea have been linked with a host of managers to replace the Italian. Luis Enrique and Carlo Ancelotti are the two big names linked with the Blues and now it appears Pochettino is also on the radar of Roman Abramovich.
Rumour rating/probability - 4/10
Despite all the rumours stating that Pochettino is a wanted man, which may be true of course, It is highly unlikely that he will consider a move to one of Spurs' biggest rivals.
Author’s take
Pochettino is one of the hottest properties in world football right now and may be tempted to manage one of the bigger clubs in Europe. But at the moment, it is hard to see him managing any club aside from Spurs as he wants to win titles with them. Chelsea will have little chance to snap him up and it will be wise to look elsewhere for a replacement.