MANUEL PELLEGRINI has emerged as the main rival to Antonio Conte as Chelsea search for their next manager.
Italy boss Conte became the hot favourite for the job yesterday, following reports in his homeland that he has agreed a deal in principle to join the Blues in the summer.
But Starsport can reveal Pellegrini, 62, who is being replaced by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in the summer, remains a serious candidate for owner Roman Abramovich.
The club’s technical technical director, Michael Emenalo, has been championing the Chilean coach’s cause as a safe pair of hands to follow the controversial second coming of Jose Mourinho.
Unlike Conte, Pellegrini also knows the Premier League well having coached City for three seasons, winning the title and League Cup in 2014.
Emenalo is understood to have travelled to Italy for Juventus’ Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich, with the Turin side’s former boss Conte also due to attend.
It has been claimed Conte, who is out of contract with the Azzurri after Euro 2016, agreed a two-year deal in principle to become the permanent successor to Mourinho, after interim boss Guus Hiddink’s tenure ends in the summer.
The 46-year-old wants to return to club management and has been learning English, but Abramovich does not appear to be in a rush to seal an appointment.
Conte is due to meet the FIGC – the Italian football federation – next month to discuss his future.
Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri was another contender for the Chelsea job but is set to stay with the Italian champions as they prepare to offer him a new contract, with his current one just having one more season on it.
The club’s sporting director, Giuseppe Marotta, said this week: “The conditions for Allegri’s contract renewal are all there. The cycle has just started with him and I believe we can continue with him.
“On top of that, finding a club better than Juventus isn’t easy. I think that he can still get great pleasure from this team, thus there is no Allegri problem.”
Conte is understood to want to bring Walter Sabatini, Roma’s director of football, with him to Stamford Bridge if he gets the nod.
