SARRI MESS!
Missing stars, just one signing and Roman’s row… Blues boss was dealt a rotten hand
MAURIZIO SARRI has been airing his concerns in private about the mess he inherited at Chelsea.
An emphatic FA Community Shield defeat by Manchester City at Wembley, however, made it clear how much there is to do.
Sarri has been dealt a rotten hand. Like the character played by Lloyd Bridges in Airplane, it looks like he picked the wrong day to quit smoking on the touchline.
PRE-SEASON PREPARATION
CHELSEA try to avoid a full-scale summer tour in a World Cup year but were off to Australia within four days of the new manager’s appointment and soon training Down Under in heavy rain at the WACA.
At Napoli, he would retreat for three weeks to Dimaro Folgarida, a tiny resort in the foothills of the Dolomites, to work non-stop with his players. Two sessions a day on fitness, team shape and tactics.
Practice matches would be played there behind closed doors, plus a low-key friendly in the area and three friendlies against elite opposition in Europe.
Chelsea’s International Champions Cup dates were thrown into chaos when Sevilla withdrew and a game against Inter Milan, set for Sweden, was moved to France after a venue mix-up.
A game in Sweden versus Arsenal clashed with the Community Shield and was moved to Dublin. That left one fixture to be crammed in — against Lyon tonight at Stamford Bridge.
ABSENT PLAYERS
THE last six players are back after the PFA-recommended three weeks’ rest following the World Cup. One of them, keeper Thibaut Courtois, went straight into talks about his wish to join Real Madrid and has now gone missing.
Like Pep Guardiola at City, Sarri likes a goalkeeper comfortable with the ball at his feet so may not be averse to losing Courtois. Still, he will need a replacement.
TRANSFER INACTIVITY
WHILE expected to impose his adventurous style on the team, Sarri has only one new first-team player — Jorginho.
He wanted Gonzalo Higuain and Juventus were keen to sell but his board saw no sense in paying £50million for the 30-yearold Argentinian striker when they had Alvaro Morata, Giroud and Batshuayi.
AC Milan took Higuain on loan for £16m, with an option to buy for another £32m at the end of the season.
They would sign him only if Juventus also swapped centre halves Mattia Caldara and Leonardo Bonucci who sought a return to Turin after a year in Milan.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and director Marina Granovskaia met Juventus to discuss Higuain and Daniele Rugani, a defender who played for Sarri at Empoli. Chelsea offered £45m with add-ons for Rugani.
Juventus are reluctant to sell. The deal is not completely cold but Sarri could be moulding a back four from the defenders who played in Antonio Conte’s back three for the past two years.
ROMAN’S VISA
AN unsettling backdrop to all this is a change in Abramovich’s status since his UK visa expired and was not renewed. He has bought a home in Tel Aviv to take Israeli citizenship which allows him to visit the UK, but needs a visa to live or work there. Chelsea say his circumstances will not affect the running of the club, although he has shelved new stadium plans.
KANTE CONUNDRUM
MIDFIELDER N’Golo Kante is one of Europe’s most influential players. He usually operates freely in a midfield pair but Sarri looks set to stick with the 4-3-3 system which served him well at Napoli.
Jorginho will be the fulcrum. Kante can adapt to a role on the right but will it diminish his influence?
If so, should they sell him to Paris Saint-Germain to invest in ‘Sarrismo’? It is quite a call.
The one thing Sarri has divulged on transfers is that he would like a midfielder with ‘different characteristics’.
In Italy, this was received as confirmation of his interest in Matias Vecino of Inter Milan, a Uruguayan who offers athleticism, aerial presence and a goal threat without any loss of technique or defensive discipline.
Having played for Sarri at Empoli, Vecino knows what he expects from a midfield trio. It would take offers of around £45m to get Inter interested.
The rebuild becomes increasingly expensive.