Chelsea to monitor Zinedine Zidane (Mail)

Chelsea to monitor  Zinedine Zidane (Mail)

Chelsea are monitoring Zinedine Zidane's future as they step up the search for a new manager.

Zidane quit as Real Madrid boss by calling a shock press conference on Thursday, saying: 'I'm not going to coach another team right now. I'm not looking for another team.'

But Chelsea are set to try persuade Zidane to change his mind.

The Premier League club are in peril having still not sacked Antonio Conte with previous favourite Maurizio Sarri no longer thought to be in the running.

Laurent Blanc is the latest contender but Chelsea will ask about the availability of Zidane.

The Stamford Bridge club are in a difficult place less than a fortnight after winning the FA Cup.

Since lifting what was their 15th major trophy under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, the club halted work on their new £1billion new stadium project and appeared to shelve plans to appoint Sarri as their new manager.