Jorge Sampaoli: I was Chelsea's first choice

Reports in Italy have suggested??Conte could be confirmed as Chelsea's next full-time manager in the coming days, with Guus Hiddink in charge until the end of the season after Mourinho paid the price for a woeful Premier League title defence.

Sampaoli was a nominee for the 2015 FIFA World Coach of the Year after leading Chile to Copa America glory last year, although he quit the national job in January after a disagreement with the country's football association.

And the Argentine has now revealed how close he came to taking over at Stamford Bridge.

"I had a meeting with Chelsea's owner [Roman Abramovich] and he told me that I was the first option," he told Argentine radio station Vorterix.??

"I was about to be their new coach, but then Conte appeared and it became a competition between us. It was him or me.

"I needed some time in order to improve my English but this kind of club doesn't give you that time."