Chelsea are exploring the possibility of bringing the Italy goalkeeping coach, Gianluca Spinelli, to Stamford Bridge to work under Antonio Conte in a move which is expected to lead to Christophe Lollichon severing his long association with the Premier League club.

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Spinelli is working alongside Conte at Euro 2016 but is understood to be attracted to the possibility of joining his compatriot in London in a similar capacity after the tournament.

The move would be considered a means of appeasing the first-choice goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, whose relationship with Lollichon became increasingly strained last season over disagreements on training regimes.

Chelsea are eager to retain the Belgium international’s services at least for another season amid suggestions Real Madrid could seek to lure him back to Spain. The reigning European champions have not made a formal offer but the London club are aware of Courtois’ desire to return to the Spanish capital, where he played three seasons on loan at Atlético, in the future. The 24-year-old has talked a number of times with Conte who can see the logic in bringing in a new coach to work with the goalkeeper.

The hiring of Spinelli would effectively leave Lollichon sidelined and likely to pursue his career elsewhere. The Frenchman moved to the club in late 2007, six weeks after José Mourinho’s first dismissal as manager, and has worked under six permanent head coaches – Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Carlo Ancelotti, André Villas-Boas, Roberto Di Matteo and Mourinho second time round – as well as two interims, Guus Hiddink (twice) and Rafael Benítez, over his nine years at the club. Chelsea’s instinct may be to seek to shift him into a new role, if largely for continuity’s sake. But Lollichon, who is on holiday, would most likely seek a clean break and a move to further his career.

The Frenchman was initially brought to south-west London to work with Petr Cech, with whom he had struck up a fine relationship at Rennes, and there had been talk of him following the Czech international goalkeeper to Arsenal last summer. That never materialised, though the prospect of switching across the capital could yet be revisited.

Should Chelsea succeed in retaining Courtois then the current back-up, Asmir Begovic, is expected to be permitted to leave – Crystal Palace retain an interest in the Bosnian.

Talks have taken place to bring the free agent Steve Mandanda, who is at Euro 2016 with France, to Stamford Bridge following his release by Marseille.