The jury has been out on who will be the next Chelsea manager ever since Roberto Di Matteo was removed and replaced on an interim basis by Rafa Benitez . It is a miracle that Benitez is still in the job following an ill-mannered backlash at the club along with indifferent results, but he has steadied the ship in recent weeks.

Blues owner, Roman Abramovich, has been scouring Europe to find a suitable permanent manager for some time now. The list has included the likes of Antonio Conte, Guus Hiddink, Fabio Capello and naturally current Real Madrid coach, Jose Mourinho.

Hiddink is a free agent at the end of the season, but the 66-year-old is reluctant to coach a club given his age and prefers to be an advisor. Capello is currently managing the Russian national team and has distanced himself for the Chelsea post, claiming he is focused on helping Russia earn a place for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Mourinho has insisted time and again that his next managerial stint will be in England and many believe and/or hope a move back to Stamford Bridge is on the cards. However, it is unknown whether Mourinho will depart Madrid at the end of the season and there are also reports linking him with Manchester United, once Ferguson retires.

Abramovich has instead focused his attention on bringing Conte to London, who according to Sky Sports, is disillusioned with life in Serie A and may be willing to leave in the summer. Conte joined the Bianconeri in the summer of 2011 and helped the club win their 28th Scudetto in his first season, famously being undefeated in the league.

Juve are set to retain their title this season having a 9 point lead over second placed Napoli with 9 games to play but manager Conte may still choose to move on at the end of the season.

Following their 2-0 win over Bologna on the weekend, Conte said, “Even in a civilised city like Bologna we were greeted as if it were a war, and these things lead to great bitterness. That is when I get the urge to go abroad, so maybe I can live in a more peaceful and serene way. But my thoughts are only with Juventus for now.”

Chelsea could once again be a major force in the league with Conte having already established himself at the highest level. He is known to rally the troops and have a united squad, and could bring much needed stability to the club. But with the uncertainty associated with the post as Chelsea manager, would Conte really fancy a move to the Bridge?