According to reports in the Daily Record, Chelsea will replace Antonio Conte with former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti before the start of next season.

What's the word, then?

Well, in the Daily Record's latest Transfer Window Podcast, Ian McGarry says that Ancelotti will return to Stamford Bridge prior to the new campaign kicking off.

The Daily Record says that the 58-year-old, who is out of work having been sacked by Bayern Munich earlier this season, has already held talks with owner Chelsea Abramovich and it is now a case of when, and not if, the appointment will happen.

The report adds that Conte's time with the west London outfit is nearing the end following a number of disagreements over the club's transfer policy, while the Blues also look unlikely to retain their Premier League crown as they currently lie 14 points behind leaders Manchester City.

Will this news come as much of a shock?

No, not really.

Conte was clearly unhappy with the club's transfer business during the summer, and additions like Davide Zappacosta and Tiemoue Bakayoko have struggled in the first few months of the season.

Disappointing defeats against Crystal Palace and West Ham United last weekend and finishing second in their Champions League group have also suggested that things aren't as good as they could be on the pitch, and it would certainly be no surprise to see Conte walk away at the end of the season, or even get the boot beforehand.

Would Ancelotti be a good appointment?

He certainly would be.

The 58-year-old won the league and cup double during his previous spell with Chelsea – with an overall win percentage of more than 61% – and he is a calmer figure than Conte and probably more likely to have a good relationship with his players.

The fact that he has managed the likes of the Blues, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain during his career shows just how highly he is rated in terms of European football, and Abramovich would hope that he could attract some big-name players to Stamford Bridge.

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