Former Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell is open to the idea of watching Mauricio Pochettino become the next head coach at Stamford Bridge. The Argentine has done a credible job in developing Tottenham Hotspur into a top-four side but his future at Spurs remains uncertain beyond the summer.

Recent reports have surprisingly linked Pochettino with a move to Chelsea, and Sidwell fancies the prospect of the 46-year-old managing the Blues, he told TalkSPORT: “There’s no smoke without fire so there’s probably an element of truth in there, and you look at it the other way where he [Pochettino] is looking for contract renewals - or maybe his agent has put the idea in there - to buck Spurs’ ideas up. But if it is true I’d welcome it with open arms. He’s been fantastic since he came to the country; what he did with Southampton was brilliant.”

Antonio Conte’s position at Chelsea is currently in tender hooks prior to the end of the season and it is suggested that he could be dismissed from the Blues’ position regardless of the club’s success in the FA Cup final. Blues boss Roman Abramovich has often tended to demand a top-four finish in the Premier League on top of any silverware success and Conte’s failure to do so is likely to push him through the exit door.

As of now, Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri has been earmarked as the prime option to succeed Conte but it will be interesting to see whether the Blues are willing to trigger the £8m release clause present in his current deal. Chelsea ended their league season with 70 points, five adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. They have an FA Cup final scheduled against Manchester United at the Wembley on Saturday and they will be seeking to end the season on a high.