Chelsea on alert as Pep Guardiola quits

Chelsea are expected to make a formal approach for Pep Guardiola to take over as their new manager if the Spaniard quits Barcelona today (Friday).

Barcelona have called a late-morning press conference, to take place after training, at which Guardiola is expected to announce his future plans.

He has already told Barcelona he wants to leave after four years in charge, but senior figures at the club are still hoping that he can be persuaded to change his mind.

Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, is piling the pressure on Guardiola to quit and take over at Stamford Bridge even though the coach has strongly indicated that he is determined to take a year-long sabbatical from football.

The 41 year-old will not become the next England manager and has not even been considered by the Football Association as a candidate.

The FA still expects to make an appointment by the time the Premier League season has ended on May 13 but there has still not been any contact whatsoever with Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Redknapp, raising the distinct prospect that he is not their first choice and that a deal has already been agreed with another manager.

Guardiola has informed Barcelona, Abramovich and his friends that he is determined to take a break because he feels mentally and physically exhausted by the demands of being in charge of the Catalan club and the strain has shown with some of his decision-making and team selections.

Abramovich will test that resolve with the promise of not just a multi-million pound salary but the mandate to overhaul the Chelsea squad and create what one source said would be a "young, hungry new team" centred around whoever Guardiola wanted to attract.

Talks have taken place between Guardiola and Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, who is desperately trying to persuade him to stay and is being backed by the players.

Lionel Messi, in particular, has begged Guardiola to change his mind on several occasions in recent weeks.

There has been a direct dialogue between Guardiola and Abramovich, a dialogue that continued after Chelsea's shock elimination of Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League earlier this week.

Abramovich, surprisingly, did not attend the match - not because he was apathetic but more likely because he did not want to jinx the outcome given the club's previous semi-final defeats.

He has been talking to Guardiola ever since he decided to sack Andre Villas-Boas in March.

Up until this week Barcelona were confident that Guardiola would once again extend his contract. He has threatened to leave in the past, most recently in the run-up to last year's Champions League final, only to sign a season-long contract extension.

The fear this time around is that Guardiola feels more determined to go, having grown weary of the pressure of being the Barcelona coach, the expectation to succeed and play in a certain style and also some of the political machinations at the club.

Although Rosell wants Guardiola to remain in place, there has been tension because the coach has a good relationship with the former president Joan Laporta and his successor has wanted him to sever the ties.

There is also a sense that Guardiola has not been as focused on the job in recent months while his relationship with some players, such as key defender Gerard Pique, has been strained.

In addition, Guardiola has reacted extremely badly to the growing criticism he has faced in the Spanish media which culminated in his rant on the eve of the second leg against Chelsea, when he swore and launched a tirade over being questioned about his team selections for El Clasico against Real Madrid.

At that time it was feared Guardiola would quit should he retain the Champions League.

Immediately after the defeat to Chelsea, sources claimed he would stay because he wanted to recapture the trophy, but having slept on the matter Guardiola met with Rosell and senior Barcelona executives on Wednesday to inform them that he intended to go and wanted to take a sabbatical.

Rosell pleaded with him to change his mind and also provide the transfer funds that Guardiola has wanted to sign a new central defender - Chelsea's David Luiz is one of three targets - and a striker for next -season.

There is also significant interest in Gareth Bale, who has been earmarked as the club's next left-back, although Barcelona are unlikely to go anywhere close to Tottenham Hotspur's valuation for the Welsh international which is likely to be around pounds 40?million.

There has been an assumption that Guardiola would not want to leave Barcelona and move to the Premier League, but that is not necessarily the case.

He speaks fluent English and although Chelsea would not be his only suitors the attraction of living in London for Guardiola and his family is appealing.