Chelsea chase
Sarri’s race against time to be ready for new season
Maurizio Sarri, the incoming Chelsea head coach, faces a race to prepare his new team for the Premier League season as the club try to keep hold of Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois.
Sarri flew to London yesterday and agreed to succeed Antonio Conte, while Napoli midfielder Jorginho is on the brink of becoming Chelsea’s first summer signing.
Conte’s departure was finally confirmed by Chelsea yesterday morning, courtesy of a terse 61-word statement that offered no thanks for his achievements.
As revealed by The Daily Telegraph, Conte is “disgusted” by what he believes is poor treatment over his sacking. Lawyers are arguing over the size and terms of his payoff, which could be £9million. The statement read: “Chelsea Football Club and Antonio Conte have parted company. During Antonio’s time at the club, we won our sixth league title and eighth FA Cup. In the title-winning season, the club set a then-record 30 wins in a 38game Premier League season, as well as a club-record 13 consecutive league victories. We wish Antonio every success in his future career.”
While the battle between Chelsea and Conte rages on, the club will install Sarri as the new head coach, with club legend Gianfranco Zola joining his backroom team. But the 59-year-old has a difficult task ahead.
Chelsea’s first pre-season game is on Monday week, against Perth Glory. Hazard will not have returned from his break after the World Cup, but Chelsea will seek talks with his representatives over his future. They will try to convince Hazard that the appointment of Sarri, together with new signings, including Jorginho, Daniele Rugani and Aleksandr Golovin, can help them challenge for top titles again.
A new contract worth more than £300,000 a week remains on the table, but sources believe that, following such a good World Cup with Belgium, the 27-year-old thinks it is time for a new challenge.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are interested in Hazard, but, even if he expresses a desire to leave, Chelsea value him over the £200 million world record fee Paris St-germain paid for Neymar. Both Hazard and Courtois have said they will decide their futures after the World Cup and Real are expected to make it clear in the coming days whether they will bid for the goalkeeper.
Chelsea will listen to offers for Courtois as long as they can secure a replacement. Roma’s Alisson Becker is first choice, but there is an acceptance that it could be a difficult summer, with the Premier League transfer deadline closing on Aug 9. Barcelona remain keen to sign Willian and he could be replaced by Golovin, the subject of talks with CSKA Moscow.
While it is not Sarri’s duty to try to convince Hazard and Courtois to stay, he must work quickly to try to impress his methods on Chelsea’s squad. The biggest change could come at the back, as Sarri has generally played with a back four, rather than the back three or back five employed by Conte.