With pre-season upon us and the new campaign fast approaching, the uncertainty surrounding Chelsea and their manager situation is not great preparation.
The Blues ended last year on a high note with their FA Cup success, but ultimately, Antonio Conte wasn’t able to secure Champions League qualification which would undoubtedly have been a major disappointment.
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In turn, speculation has been rife over his future at Stamford Bridge, with Calciomercato now claiming that although an agreement is in place between Chelsea and Maurizio Sarri, club owner Roman Abramovich intends to move forward with either Sarri or Conte from a key meeting on Sunday and so the next two days are key.
It’s noted that the hold up over the former Napoli boss is the clause to release him from the Serie A outfit, and so it remains to be seen if a compromise is reached in time or if Conte will begin the new campaign looking to bounce back from last year’s frustration.
Although there is no official word from Chelsea on the matter, that timeline would seem to make sense as ultimately, they have to make a decision one way or the other sooner rather than later as players prepare to return for pre-season training.
The uncertainty over the managerial situation will also surely delay their ability to strengthen the squad, as it’s unclear as to whether new signings are being made to suit Conte or Sarri’s tactical ideas and plans for next season.
With that in mind, it’s far from an ideal situation that the Blues are currently in, and so clarity over the managerial situation will potentially provide crucial answers to other key questions this summer.
The Sun claim that Sarri’s first signing is already being lined up in the form of a reunion with striker Gonzalo Higuain, but an official appointment of the coach is still yet to arrive.