Several reports in Italy indicate Chelsea are days away from completing the deal to sign Maurizio Sarri to take over as next manager next season.
The Italian manager is set to replace his compatriot Antonio Conte whose job has been on the line since the start of the season, following poor performances from his side and his constant condemnation of the club’s transfer policy.
Having struggled through the season to successfully defend the Premier League title they won in Conte’s first season in England, the former Juventus manager is expected to leave the club as Chelsea look for replacements.
Reports indicated that the Blues were in talks to bring in former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique but the deal went cold before Sarri emerged as a new favorite.
However with his release clause of £8m, Napoli refused to do business with Chelsea although it appears the Premier Legaue outfit are not willing to pay the price for Sarri according to CalcioMercato via Daily Express.
If the deal is announced and Conte is sacked this week as the report says, Conte will receive a huge compensation of £9 million, as he has a year still remaining on his current deal at Chelsea.
Sarri wants Chelsea, rejected PSG
Maurizio Sarri considers Chelsea to be the “ideal team for his type of football” and turned down PSG for their poor work-rate, revealed his colleague.
Fellow Coach and long-time friend Marco Brachi gave an insight into ex-Napoli tactician Sarri’s thinking as he decides on his future.
“I haven’t heard from him in about a month, as we were meant to meet up for dinner and watch the Champions League Final, but had to cancel,” Brachi told newspaper Roma.
“He was wanted in Russia, but for an aesthete like him, it’s unlikely he’d have adapted to that type of football. It’s true, he is 59 years old, but money isn’t everything in life.
“Maurizio has always been fascinated by the Chelsea option, as he’d really love to work in England. Let’s be clear, it is the ideal team for his type of football. They’ve got players like Willian and Eden Hazard who run hard.
“The last time I saw him, he said that Paris Saint-Germain were after him, but the club is not suited to him. He said: ‘How can I train a team that has Adrien Rabiot, Marco Verratti and Thiago Motta in midfield?’ They are players who don’t run, aren’t helpful to his idea of football, which is very draining.
“We’re talking about great players, but they don’t attack the space and don’t run off the ball, unlike Napoli with Allan, Piotr Zielinski, Marek Hamsik, Jorginho and the rest.
“Sarri is not a Coach suited to everyone. Not every club will let you smoke during training, in the locker room or even on the plane. He is the last bastion of a romantic style of football that has fallen to money and multinational corporations.
“I am certain, Sarri won’t change for anyone.”
Sarri was born in Naples and supported the club, even though he grew up close to Florence, and was passionate about the fans.
“Naples is an extraordinary city and their love for Maurizio went beyond football,” added Brachi.
“I am sure that if he did go to Chelsea, he’d want to bring some of the Napoli players with him. Jorginho is his pupil, even if Manchester City want him.
“During the first pre-season training camp at Dimaro, I met Sarri in the locker room and he told me this team had two phenomenal players: Jorginho and Kalidou Koulibaly.”