Less than two weeks after Antonio Conte's blockbuster—yet expected—exit from Tottenham was confirmed, the highly-rated Italian tactician is being linked with a shocking return to the Premier League.
The 53-year-old left the North London side by mutual agreement in late March following his unforgettable press conference outburst after his team threw away a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 away to relegation-battling Southampton.
Daniel Levy and Co. waited until the international break to let the Italian go, but he went nonetheless, with his former assistant Cristian Stellini taking over the club in an interim role until the end of the current season.
As for Conte, he might not be out of work for long. In fact, according to one report, the former Juventus and Inter Milan boss could find himself back in England quicker than expected.
A report by the Independent claims that Chelsea have opened talks with Antonio following their decision to sack Graham Potter. Bruno Saltor, who has now been replaced by Frank Lampard as the caretaker, was allowed to oversee the home clash with Liverpool following Potter's departure.
However, the search for a permanent head coach continues and Conte is now under consideration. Talks have begun through intermediaries, which could lead to a direct meeting with the Italian next week.
However, one thing should be stressed: this is simply one step in a thorough process to appoint the right man at Stamford Bridge. Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique remain the favorites, with the latter having already held talks in London and impressing Chelsea with his vision for the future.
Conte was the last man to win the Blues a Premier League title, and as a result, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghali wish to give Antonio consideration and explore what he could bring to the club.
The London giants are currently bloated with way too many players and lack structure, something which the higher-ups believe Conte could address. Nonetheless, it will be hard to look past his bitter spell at Tottenham which ended last month in disaster.
The future remains uncertain but in the short term, Lampard will be in charge as they look to finish the season strongly. The Blues currently sit in the bottom half of the table, occupying the 11th spot, and are preparing for back-to-back trips to Wolves in the league and Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals.
