Conte is leading the list of candidates to replace Mourinho should he be sacked.

Italy's national team coach Antonio Conte, who previously managed Juventus, has left open the possibility of moving to the English Premier League after the Euro 2016 campaign.

Chelsea are going through a disastrous period in the Premier League. Their 1-2 defeat away to Leicester City in yesterday's matchday 16 leaves the defending champions stuck in 16th place with just 15 points, only one point above the relegation zone and 14 points behind the bottom four teams.

Mourinho still retains the support of owner Roman Abramovich, but once the Russian billionaire loses patience, the hot seat at Chelsea will be open to a race between big-name candidates.

Mourinho hasn't lost Abraovich's support yet, but time is running out, and if he doesn't turn things around soon, he could very well be forced to leave. Photo: AP.

Antonio Conte is currently considered a leading candidate by the English media. The 46-year-old coach previously led Juventus to three consecutive Serie A titles before becoming the head coach of the Italian national team.

He is unlikely to leave his duties with the Azzurri before the end of Euro 2016 next summer. However, some members of the Chelsea board already admire Conte's talent. After the European Championship finals, he will become one of the few talented and unattached coaches Chelsea can consider. The club hasn't sacked Mourinho yet, partly because no replacement has met both criteria: sufficient credibility and freedom.

Recently, Conte also hinted at the possibility of changing his working environment after his contract with the Italian national team ends, and his next destination could be the English Premier League.

Conte is looking for a new challenge and experience after his success with Juventus and leading the Italian national team to the Euro 2016 finals.

Pep Guardiola could also become a strong candidate to take over as Chelsea manager if he informs Bayern Munich's leadership this month that he will leave after his current contract expires in June 2016. However, Manchester City are now also emerging as clubs very keen to lure the Spanish coach to England. Chelsea may have a slight advantage because Pep has previously revealed that he wants to live in London.

Carlo Ancelotti, who led Chelsea to a double of Premier League and FA Cup titles in the 2009-10 season, recently stated that he does not want to return to coaching this season after being sacked by Real Madrid at the end of last season. However, he has declared that he is ready to embrace a new opportunity from the summer of 2016.

According to VNE