Report Claims Chelsea Have 'Made Their Final Call' on Antonio Conte's Replacement

Chelsea have reportedly already decided on the man to take over from Antonio Conte this summer, with the former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique the one they have settled on.

In what has been one of the worst kept secrets in sport, Conte has been unsettled in west London since last summer, and the antipathy between manager and club has only grown wider during the season. 

It has therefore been a de facto inevitablity that the 48-year-old would part ways with the Blues at the end of this troubling campaign, with PSG, Milan and Inter among his most impassioned suitors. Indeed, there were even reports of a premature decoupling after Sunday's draw with West Ham, although these turned out to be false.

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However, according to reports emmenating from Tuttosport, as acknowledged by CalcioMercato, Chelsea have now selected Luis Enrique as Conte's successor, but also concede that thanks to Thomas Tuchel's appointment at PSG, the Italian's own future is now up in the air.

Enrique was an acclaimed player in his day, one of a small collection of people to have played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, and has already had an eventful managerial career.

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Starting out with Barcelona B in 2008, he has had one year spells with AS Roma and Celta Vigo, before three years at the helm of the Blaugrana, winning the Champions League in 2015. 

SInce leaving the Nou Camp in 2017, Enrique has refrained from taking up a new role, but has been linked with many a club in the Premier League, with Chelsea the latest and seemingly most concrete. 

Meanwhile, with Tuchel pipping him to the post in Paris, Zinedine Zidane reviving Real Madrid, and a move back to Italy supposedly less appealing, Conte's once seemingly endless opportunities are dwindling fast.