Chelsea find new contender to replace Antonio Conte

Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent Blanc has reportedly emerged as the fresh candidate to replace Antonio Conte at Chelsea.

For the past few weeks, the Blues have been linked with a move for former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri but their reluctance to pay up his £7m release clause may hamper their prospects of signing him.

According to The Sun, Sarri's release clause has now expired and the Blues' chances of signing him are dependent on whether he can buyout the final year of his Napoli contract.

Meanwhile, the Blues are also said to be concerned about Sarri's use of homophobic language early on during his Napoli career which led to a fine and a touchline ban.

Keeping this in mind, Blanc has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Conte at the helm but the Blues have yet to agree upon a severance package with their current head coach.

Zinedine Zidane has been identified as another suitable candidate for the role after parting ways with Real Madrid but the Frenchman is expected to take some time out of the game before accepting a new position.