Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is going all in for Porto coach Andres Villas-Boas. The Daily Mail says Villas-Boas will be appointed as outright manager - with Guus Hiddink not returning to Stamford Bridge in any capacity.
Hiddink made it clear that - at his age - he wanted a top coach working alongside him to shoulder the burden. When attempts to lure the likes of Marco van Basten and Steve Clarke proved unsuccessful, they turned to Villas-Boas and it soon became clear he would consider only the job of manager.
Abramovich is aware of the risk that would be involved but has decided to back the younger man in the belief that he can emerge as another Mourinho. At the same time he had concerns Hiddink, because of his age, would prove to be another relatively short-term appointment.
There could yet be a vacancy for Hiddink as director of football, but he has maintained he is interested only in managing, having rejected a similar role at Ajax.
