Chelsea force Euro giants to panic over €8m release clause for Conte replacement

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Maurizio Sarri has been doing a fine job at Napoli for almost three years, and reports claim that it’s been enough to alert Chelsea.

Appointed in 2015, he has steadily guided the Partenopei into regular title battles with Juventus, but up until now he has come up empty-handed.

He did win the Serie A Coach of the Year award last season, and Napoli are currently top of the table after 22 games, winning 18 with three draws and just one defeat as they sit only a point above Juve.

Nonetheless, he has established himself as a top tactician, and now amid La Gazzetta dello Sport reporting that Chelsea are keen to take him to west London, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

It’s added in the report that Sarri has an €8m release clause which Chelsea are willing to pay, while from Napoli’s perspective, they are desperate to now agree on new terms to remove that from the equation.

Although he has yet to win a major trophy with Napoli, there is no denying that Sarri’s tactical nous and the style of play in which he gets his sides to play has earned him plenty of praise and that could very much be welcomed at Stamford Bridge.

As per Eurosport, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola gave him the highest possible praise earlier this season, insisting that Napoli are “one of the best teams I have ever faced as a professional”, which is an indication of the job that Sarri has done with that group.

In contrast, it’s not been an easy year for Conte thus far. Chelsea sit 18 points adrift of Premier League leaders City after winning the title last season, while Sky Sports discussed how there has been ongoing talk of the Italian tactician being unhappy amid tension with the hierarchy.

A change may be coming, and Chelsea could do a lot worse than to appoint Sarri as Conte’s successor.

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