Chelsea FC manager rumors: Shortlist down to four

Let's start with the bad news, the not-strictly-Chelsea news, again.  Jose Mourinho's move to Manchester United took a serious leap forward in the past 24 hours with reports from the BBC getting in on the act now as well.  There's no agreement yet, the BBC assure, but negotiations are under way.  Surely, it's only a matter of time.  In fact, some have even put a date on it, with the Independent picking up reports in Spain that Mourinho will start his new job at the red half of Manchester on July 1.

(Sorry, Juan Mata!)

Closer to home, the Chelsea manager search has apparently been narrowed down to just four candidates.  So says The Oracle himself, Gianluca Di Marzio.  The four names are hardly a surprise:  Diego Simeone, Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, and Jorge Sampaoli.

@StellaCourtois conte allegri Sampaoli

— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) February 5, 2016

Allegri looks the closest at the moment, thanks to the recent rumblings from Italy that he already has signed a "secret agreement" with the Blues, though the fact that Sampaoli is unemployed and Conte could very well be as well after the Euros, keeps them firmly in the running.  For now, we can probably rule out Simeone, who looks set to stay with Atlético, and perhaps all the fringe candidates, like Koeman and Pochettino, too.