The Italian coach is expected to leave Stamford Bridge and return to Italy after just one season in London, but who could replace him?
Maurizio Sarri is still Chelsea manager – but not for much longer.
The Italian coach was expected to be sacked earlier in the season following a disastrous 6-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City, but managed to survive in his post for the remainder of the campaign. He eventually secured a third-place league finish as well as the Europa League trophy.
He is, however, known to be leaving his post at Stamford Bridge imminently for a move back to Italy, with Juventus his likeliest destination.
Goal takes a look at his leading candidates below…
GettyGianfranco Zola
Chelsea could be tempted to follow in the footsteps of Man United and hire a club legend.
Gianfranco Zola worked as Sarri's assistant and was the obvious choice to replace the Italian should he have been sacked prior to the end of the season.
As well as being one of the finest players ever to represent Chelsea, Zola also has plenty of experience of managing in England, though his spells at West Ham, Watford and Birmingham City were short and not particularly sweet.
Still, if Chelsea want to replicate the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer effect by hiring a fan favourite who also commands the respect of the dressing room, they need look no further than Zola.
AdvertisementGettyMassimiliano Allegri
Should Sarri head to Juventus, he could be going for a straight swap with Allegri, who was most recently manager at the Old Lady since 2014.
The Italian won five straight Serie A titles during his time in Turin and finished as Champions League runners-up twice, in 2015 and 2017.
He doesn't have much experience managing outside of Italy, however, managing Milan and Sassuolo prior to his time at Juventus.
GettyFrank Lampard
It would be the stuff of fairy tale for club legend Frank Lampard to return to Chelsea as manager.
The former Blues midfielder is in charge of Derby County and made headlines earlier this season as his Championship outfit knocked a Mourinho-led Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup, as well as reaching the final of the Championship play-offs in his debut season.
Like Zola, Lampard is a fan favourite who would be very familiar with the philosophy and inner-workings of Chelsea.
Lampard has already long been considered a front-runner to replace Sarri, with the club to meet with the former midfielder for further talks.
GettyErik ten Hag
Ten Hag has quietly built a solid reputation for himself around Europe as he took Dutch side Ajax to the semi-finals of the 2018-19 Champions League.
Ajax, massively considered dark horses in the competition, managed to defy expectations and knocked out defending champions Real Madrid in the last-16 stage and eliminated favourites Juventus in the quarter-finals.
The Dutch manager has been considered for the Chelsea position, although he is cautious about signing on at Stamford Bridge due to the transfer ban that is currently in place.