It’s an exit that will sink the hearts of all Chelsea fans, including this writer. We love Antonio Conte, we love the fact that we are on top of the PL table, we love our players and we love to keep the blue flag flying high.

But, we know that if Antonio Conte gets an offer (it looks very likely) to become a Barcelona manager, he’ll most probably take it up. That’ll leave us with no option but to find a new leader. Again.

It’s not an ideal situation, but in case we have to choose, we’d like these men at Chelsea.

Diego Simeone

He’s been on fire for Atletico Madrid, and even managed to win the La Liga against incredible teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona. At Chelsea, Diego will find more money to play with, as well as an opportunity to prove his mettle in the toughest league in Europe.

Rafael Benitez

Benitez had coached Chelsea  for a brief period in the 2012-13 season (and led them to Europa Cup glory), after Roberto Di Matteo was sacked. He has also coached Liverpool successfully for many seasons before fading away. Now though, Benitez is in fine managerial form and his Championship winning stint at Newcastle United is proof.

Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino gave Conte many sleepless nights this season, and it’ll be nice to have the Tottenham coach wearing the Chelsea badge. He is smart, he is demanding and he knows how to win matches on a continuous basis. At Chelsea, he’ll have more money at his disposal and also be able to choose from a wider pool of top quality players.

Claudio Ranieri

He was sacked by Leicester City this season, despite winning them the improbable trophy last season. It’ll be awesome to see him in the Chelsea camp once again, as he’ll have a point to prove for sure.