Report: Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone to take over as Chelsea manager

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has reportedly agreed to take over as Chelsea manager in the summer.

The 45-year-old became an early candidate for the position at Stamford Bridge following Jose Mourinho's sacking in December.

Pep Guardiola was also thought to be high on Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's list, but after the Bayern Munich boss opted for Manchester City, the West London outfit have been considering other candidates.

According to OK Diario, Simeone has told Atletico officials that he will leave at the end of the season to move to Chelsea and replace interim boss Guus Hiddink.

The report adds that the current Premier League champions, who find themselves 12th in the table following a torrid first half of the season, is offering to double Simeone's wages to around £9.3m a year.

As Atletico's manager, Simeone has won the La Liga title, the Europa League, the Super Cup, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana.

The former player also guided the team to the Champions League final in 2014.