Chelsea have earmarked former Tottenham Hotspur manager Juande Ramos as a candidate to replace Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge, according to reports.
The Premier League champions have suffered a torrid season so far, losing nine of their 16 outings to sit just one point above the relegation zone approaching the halfway stage of the campaign.
Mourinho's position has come under heavy scrutiny as a result, with reports suggesting that Roman Abramovich is planning an emergency board meeting to discuss the Portuguese's future following the 2-1 defeat to Leicester City on Monday night.
Sacking Mourinho could cost Chelsea up to £40m in compensation, but Abramovich is nonetheless understood to be thinking about bringing the 52-year-old's second spell in charge to an end.
Should that happen, the Russian is considering Ramos as a shock candidate to take on the role on an interim basis, with the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte not available until the summer at least, according to The Times.
Ramos, who has also previously managed the likes of Real Madrid and Sevilla during his career, was most recently in charge of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk from 2010 to 2014.
Barney Corkhill
