Chelsea scooped the FA Cup with a rope-a-dope 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Wembley but it does not look as if it will be enough to save Antonio Conte’s job.
It has looked like the Blues will start next season with a new manager in the Stamford Bridge dugout for quite some time now but as Arsenal have also found, elite bosses are slightly thin on the ground at the moment.
Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti may set pulses racing in West London but one interesting name that has been linked with the Chelsea hotseat is Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentine has preached the importance of operating on a budget, with gradual progress and young hungry players at Spurs but Chelsea finished the season with a trophy while his side did not.
The lure of a rich, trophy-accumulating machine may prove tempting for a man who is still yet to secure silverware in his career.
If the move across the capital does materialise, it could have far-reaching consequences and Football FanCast have taken a closer look at some of them…
Willian stays at Chelsea
The Brazilian playmaker has been in and out of the Blues side this season, beginning the FA Cup final on the bench before a petulant Instagram post indicated exactly what he thinks of Conte.
Manchester United are sniffing around and while a reunion with his former manager Jose Mourinho may appeal, it seems as if his gripes are with Conte and not with Chelsea in general.
The arrival of Pochettino, who would surely love his selfless running and boundless energy, may convince Willian to shun the opportunity to move to Old Trafford.
No more three at the back
Conte’s three-man defence stormed the Premier League in his maiden season in English football but last time around, it did not have the same impact.
Despite that, the Italian remained wedded to the concept of a defensive trio, frantically rotating the format of the players in front but never wavering on the setup of his backline.
While Pochettino has deployed a 3-4-2-1 at Spurs, it has faded from view this season. It feels as if letting go of the back three would liberate Chelsea and the Argentine could do just that with his preferred four-man defence.
Spurs have an exodus
Tottenham have enjoyed another season of steady progress, improving in Europe and taking their place in the top three despite spending the entire season at Wembley.
However, the unswerving belief that Pochettino has in his project in North London is the glue that holds it all together; keeping elite players at the club when they could earn and win more elsewhere.
If he leaves, what is to stop Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and the rest following suit? That danger becomes even graver if Daniel Levy does not get the appointment of the successor right.
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