Chelsea have set their sights on Inter Milan manager
Roberto Mancini to succeed Avram Grant, who will be asked to move
upstairs to resume his role as director of football next
season.
Mancini, 43, who will win his third straight Serie A title today
if Inter beat Parma, has emerged as favourite to take over at
Stamford Bridge ahead of Frank Rijkaard, who has left
Barcelona.
Mancini is regarded as having the right profile for Chelsea
owner Roman Abramovich, being young but experienced and a serious
yet charismatic coach. For all Grant's success in steering the club
to their first Champions League final, against Manchester United in
Moscow on Wednesday, Abramovich wants to reclaim the Premier League
title from United.
News of the Mancini link has emerged at an awkward time for
Grant as he prepares for Wednesday's game, which will be the
biggest in Chelsea's history and probably his last as firstteam
manager. The Israeli remains well-liked by Abramovich, who wants to
keep him within the organisation.
Mancini tried to resign from Inter after his side were
eliminated from the Champions League by Liverpool earlier this
season but he was persuaded to stay on by club president Massimo
Moratti.
However, Moratti is believed to have lined up the former Chelsea
manager Jose Mourinho for next season and, with Mancini's agents
alerting the football world to his availability, a well-placed
source says Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has been in
contact.
The former Italy international striker would come with the seal
of approval of Sven Goran Eriksson, who recommended players to
Abramovich when the Russian first took over at Chelsea and was once
lined up to be manager himself.
Eriksson is a great admirer of Mancini, whom he coached at
Sampdoria and Lazio before encouraging then Leicester boss Peter
Taylor to sign him in 2001 at the end of his playing career.