Thomas Tuchel has long had an eye on Chelsea as a possible job opportunity and Roman Abramovich might be tempted to wonder what would have transpired had he appointed the German three years earlier.
Antonio Conte's relationship with the board at Stamford Bridge was beyond repair and Tuchel was jobless between Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain when the idea was mooted.
Pini Zahavi, one of Abramovich's most trusted agents, lined up the deal but Chelsea stuck with Conte until the end of the season, by which time Tuchel was bound for Paris and Maurizio Sarri was on his way to London.