Who will be the next Chelsea manager if Mauricio Pochettino is sacked?

Chelsea slipped into the bottom half of the Premier League table after suffering a 4-2 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. 

Manager Mauricio Pochettino is under immense pressure after failing to revive the club’s fortunes following his appointment last summer.

If the poor run of results continues, the hierarchy may not wait until the end of the season to sack the Argentinian.

Here are some of the likely candidates to replace Pochettino if he is sacked.

Xabi Alonso 

Xabi Alonso is regarded as one of the top candidates for the Liverpool job after Jurgen Klopp announced he will step down at the end of the season. 

But Chelsea could act quickly and attempt to convince the Spanish boss to head to London rather than Merseyside. 

Alonso has been doing an incredible job at Bayern Leverkusen this season, with his side currently two points ahead of Bayern Munich at the Bundesliga summit. 

Liverpool would be an attractive option for Alonso, but the Blues could also offer him an intriguing project.

Jose Mourinho 

Jose Mourinho has been out of a job since being dismissed by Roma last month. 

The Portuguese boss did a commendable job in Rome, but the owners pulled the plug on his tenure after a series of disappointing results this season. 

Mourinho’s two managerial stints at Chelsea were enormously successful as he led them to three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three League Cup trophies. 

Will the Blues be tempted to hire his services for the third time? It is possible but not very likely given his failure in his recent Premier League stint with Tottenham Hotspur. 

Simone Inzaghi 

Simone Inzaghi has been doing an excellent job at Inter Milan this season.

The Nerazzurri’s most recent 1-0 success over Juventus means they are now firmly in control of the Serie A title race. 

The 47-year-old guided Inter to the Champions League final last year, while he has also lifted two Coppa Italia and three Supercoppa Italiana trophies during his time at the San Siro. 

Chelsea have previously had plenty of success with Antonio Conte, Carlo Ancelotti and Maurizio Sarri as managers and may look to appoint another top Italian coach in Inzaghi.