LUCIANO SPAGHETTI...SPALLETTI!

Luciano Spalletti, whose Roma team is more famed for their stylish football than for winning titles, has emerged as the latest favourite to fill the vacant manager's seat at Chelsea.

The Roma coach is in pole position following AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti's public rebuttal of Chelsea's advances - although Roman Abramovich may have been encouraged by mixed messages coming out of Italy yesterday suggesting he may still be interested.

Unlike Ancelotti, Spalletti has never won Italy's Serie A and has a mere two Italian Cups in his trophy cabinet. Roma have finished second in the league behind Inter Milan for the past three years.

However, Roma's flair and slick passing during their 4-2 aggregate victory over Real Madrid in last season's Champions League may have convinced club owner Roman Abramovich that Spalletti has what it takes to bring glory to Chelsea.

Both are negotiating their contracts and could come with Spalletti to Chelsea if he signs. Roma were quiet about losing their iconic manager yesterday, but did not deny the possibility. Spalletti was also silent, and is usually quick to quash rumours.

La Gazzetta dello Sport suggested that he had been taking English lessons for the past few weeks. Spalletti signed a new contract last year tying him to the club until 2011. However, he might be tempted by the opportunity to double or triple his annual £2.5 million pay packet.

Spalletti is idolised in Rome for his tactical nous. He cut his teeth at Empoli, Sampdoria, Venezia, Ancona and Udinese, a dowdy Northern Italian club which he took to the Champions League for the first time in their history.

Out of necessity, Spalletti came up with the 4-6-0 'strikerless' formation which has since been copied, and tweaked, by Sir Alex Ferguson.