With Guus Hiddink insisting that he will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, the only question is who will replace him?

Hiddink took over from Jose Mourinho in December after receiving an SOS call from Blues owner Roman Abramovich.

Chelsea improved from the side who looked like they could barely string a pass together under the Special One and the miraculous turn around in form of Diego Costa is something to be admired.

But with Manchester City announcing the appointment of Pep Guardiola, the Blues will want a manager to challenge the exploits of the former Barcelona boss.

Hiddink has confirmed the club will be looking at other options to fill the vacant hotseat.

The 69-year-old interrim boss said: “I’ve put two dates in my mind which is the 28th May and then it’s finished, I can then go home on the 29th.

“Those dates are the FA Cup Final and Champions League Final. It means that after that it’s over. We made it very clear at the end of this I will stop.”

So what do Chelsea do next?

Here are a few candidates who may be in the hot-seat come the start of next season.

Diego Simeone

The Chosen One: Chelsea fans want to see Simeone in the Blues dug-out

Abramovich has been a long term admirer of Diego Simeone.

The Argentine has God-like status in the red half of Madrid after guiding Atletico to the La Liga title in 2013/14 ahead of their near-neighbours and Barcelona.

He has also won the Europa League and the Copa del Rey during his spell at the Vincente Calderon and is one of the most sought after managers in Europe.

Many believe Chelsea and Simeone are the perfect fit because his style of football is similar to Mourinho’s and he could rejuvenate the squad left behind by the Special One.

Simeone’s Atletico side are riddled with hard working players that work together to produce combative, physical and intense performances that most opponents struggle to cope with.

Much of his success at Atletico was built around Radamel Falcao and Diego Costa, powerful target men with the ability to score goals so the template is already in place at Stamford Bridge.

The lure of London and a bulging transfer kitty could be just too tempting to turn down if he gets the call at the end of the season.

Massimiliano Allegri

The Favourite: Allegri is 4/7 on with some bookmakers

Allegri was one of the favourites with the bookies, although interest has since cooled, and is reportedly learning English

The Juventus manager is hoping to land his second straight Serie A title and that would be a good way to bow out on a high.

He already has the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana under his belt.

Last season, the tactician won a league and cup double with the Italian giants but some Chelsea fans will be concerned with Allegri's lack of management outside of Italy.

Aside from managing AC Milan and Juventus in the Champions League, Allegri has never bossed outside of his homeland.

It could be something of a gamble for Abramovich to back a man who has no experience in any of Europe's top-three leagues – the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga.

Despite never managing outside of Italy, it is hard to fault Allegri's record in his home country.

The 48-year-old won Serie C with his first club Sassoulo before winning the Serie A and Suppercoppa Italiana with AC Milan, earning himself the hot seat at the Juventus.

Antonio Conte

The Italian Job: Conte is out of contract with the Italian national team this summer

The Italy manager is an early front-runner for the Chelsea job.

The 46-year-old’s contract is up after this summer’s European Championships and the opportunity to take control at the Bridge will be a tempting proposition.

Conte guided Italy to Euro 2016 after an unbeaten qualification campaign and will be on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs.

The former Azzurri international first earned managerial recognition when he guided Bari to the Serie B title in 2009 before three Serie A successes between 2011 and 2014.

Like Allegri, Conte has no experience of managing abroad.

However, the national team boss is expected to search for a new job after the Euros in France and emerged as the favourite for the role in February.

Manuel Pellegrini

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With the Manchester City boss being replaced by Guardiola, the Chilean maestro may fancy taking revenge on the blue half of Manchester by taking over at Stamford Bridge.

The 62-year-old has a wealth of managerial experience and arguably his best spell as a manager came at the Etihad.

The former Real Madrid manager won a Premier League and League Cup double in the 2013-14 season and has handled his impending departure with great dignity.

Pellegrini may feel slightly hard done come the end of this season, which looks destined to finish with at least one major trophy going, and Chelsea could do a lot worse than a man with a Premier League winner's medal in his back pocket.

Unai Emery

European Pedigree: Abramovich may be tempted by Emery's Europa League double

The current Sevilla boss may be more of a left-field choice than many of the big names available this summer - but he could prove to be a perfect fit for Chelsea.

After the apparent dressing room revolt which ended Mourinho’s time at Stamford Bridge, Emery and his impressive man-management ability would bring calm and cohesion.

Back-to-back Europa League wins with Sevilla prove testament to his ability as a manger, especially taking into account the lack of financial support he has had at the club.

The 44-year-old also has spells at Valencia and Spartak Moscow to boost his CV and is widely rated as one of the top young managers in European football at the moment.

An enthusiastic and powerful character, Abramovich may be tempted to sit down for a chat with Emery.

Mauricio Pochettino

Long term goals: Abramovich is a fan of Pochettino's youth development

The Spurs manager has emerged as a contender in recent months.

His record of developing home-grown talent and his docile nature - in stark contrast to the abrasive Mourinho - would settle things down in west London.

The 43-year-old's performance in the Premier League at White Hart Lane and with Southampton prove he is a man who can do a job in England.

His track record with those two also separates him from a number of the other candidates who have never managed in the Premier League.

Abramovich is said to be a fan of Pochettino's high-pressing and attacking style of football, as well as his focus on developing youth, something that never appeared to be a priority for Mourinho.

Whether he is prepared to leave Spurs, or whether Daniel Levy is ready to let him go is a completely different matter - especially if Tottenham can secure Champions League football next season.

Eddie Howe

Howzat: A gamble on the Bournemouth boss may pay off for the Blues

The only English manager on this list and an appointment that would shake the football world - Eddie Howe is our wildcard candidate for the job.

Howe started his managerial career with Bournemouth in January 2009 and despite the team's 17-point deduction at the start of that season, he managed managed to guide the Cherries to League Two safety.

In his second campaign in charge, Howe won promotion to League One despite Bournemouth being under a transfer embargo.

The 38-year-old joined Burnley in January 2011 but returned to Bournemouth in October 2012 citing personal reasons and it was from this point that Howe's career rocketed.

After joining in October, Howe won League One Manger of the Month for November and in April 2013 he clinched promotion to the Championship by finishing one point behind champions Doncaster.

Bournemouth finished 10th in their first season in the second tier before securing promotion and the league title in their second, with the aid of Russian investment like at Chelsea.

Howe was named Manager of the Decade at the Football League Awards in April 2015 after leading the club into the Premier League.

Howe's record speaks for itself but Abramovich is unlikely to be prepared to make a high-risk investment while other options are available.

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