Gennaro Gattuso emerges as the prime candidate to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Napoli

Gennaro Gattuso, former AC Milan manager, is emerging as the prime candidate to take over as Napoli's coach should Carlo Ancelotti decide to leave I Partenopei, Sky Sports reports. The former Chelsea manager has been enduring a tough run of form this season, while news has also emerged of a rift between players and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis. It is believed that the Serie A side are assessing their options at the moment, ahead of Napoli’s final UEFA Champions League group stage game against Genk on Tuesday. A defeat could even mean the end of the road for Ancelotti at the San Paolo Stadium.

Gattuso, who has actually played under Ancelotti at Milan, took charge of AC Milan as a manager at the end of 2017 and quit the Serie A side earlier this summer after his team missed out on a top-four finish by a whisker. He could be primed for a swift return to management and if selected, will have his work cut out for him. Ancelotti, on the other hand, could be headed to Goodison Park should be is sacked by Napoli. That job will mean a return to the Premier League for the Italian, where he has enjoyed a fair amount of success with Chelsea.

Udinese Calcio v SSC Napoli - Serie A

Napoli are currently 7th in the Serie A, managing just 5 wins out of their 15 games so far and sit 17 points behind league leaders Inter Milan. They are second in Group E in the UEFA Champions League and require a win on Tuesday to confirm qualification to the group stages, although a draw or even a defeat could also work depending on the outcome of the Liverpool and RB Salzburg game.