Carlo Ancelotti in Talks with Chelsea Over Replacing Antonio Conte

Chelsea have held initial talks with Carlo Ancelotti about a surprise return to Stamford Bridge, according to reports in Italy.

Ancelotti was sacked by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich at the end of the 2010-11 campaign after finishing his second season in charge without a trophy.

Antonio Conte's future at Stamford Bridge has been in doubt since the summer following reports of a fractured relationship with Chelsea's hierarchy.

Conte is understood to be unhappy with several decisions made regarding transfers during his time at the club, including the call to sell Nemanja Matic to Manchester United and the club's failure to sign Radja Nainggolan and Fernando Llorente.

Earlier this month, reports claimed that Conte regrets not quitting Chelsea in the summer and is already planning to leave at the end of the season.

On Wednesday, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Ancelotti's main desire is to return to the Premier League and he has already been approached by both Chelsea and Arsenal.

Ancelotti, who won the Premier League and FA Cup in his first season at Chelsea, is currently out of work after being sacked by Bayern Munich at the end of September.

The 58-year-old is one of the frontrunners to replace Giampiero Ventura as Italy boss following their failure to qualify for next year's World Cup in Russia.