Chelsea have identified a possible replacement for Maurizio Sarri should the Italian leave the Blues and become Juventus’ new manager.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are considering the appointment of former coach Steve Holland as a manager, should Maurizio Sarri leave the Blues.
Holland worked at Chelsea for seven years before leaving to work as Gareth Southgate’s assistant manager with England in 2017, it would be a massive blow to the national team if they were to lose Holland just a year before Euro 2020.
We’ll know if Sarri’s future lies at Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks. According to The Telegraph, the Italian held talks with Chelsea’s hierarchy and it’s understood that Sarri has asked to leave the club.
According to several reports in Italy, the 60-year-old is expected to be appointed as Juventus’ new boss:
Maurizio #Sarri today had a meeting with Marina Granovskaia; and he confirmed his request to leave #Chelsea. He'd become new #Juventus manager, the agreement is almost ready. Roman Abramovich will decide and give… https://t.co/7pxbxu6Ua1
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 31, 2019
Sarri led Chelsea to a third place finish in the Premier League, the final of the Carabao Cup and also lifted the Europa League with the Blues on Wednesday against Arsenal – Sarri’s time in charge of Chelsea has certainly been eventful.
Should Sarri leave Chelsea, the decision to appoint Steve Holland as manager could actually work out to be quite a smart one, with the Blues facing a two-window transfer ban it could be difficult to lure one of Europe’s top managers to Stamford Bridge.
Holland, having worked as part of the coaching team at Chelsea under the likes of Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte, is uniquely positioned as someone who knows the ins and outs of the club – a new boss will be expected to hit the ground running whilst possibly being unable to sign any new players.
Holland could also have a significant role in ensuring that Chelsea’s talented young players are afforded the first-team opportunities they deserve, the Blues will have the likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Reece James and Fikayo Tomori returning from successful loan spells this summer.
The Mail’s report also highlights that the appointment of Holland could also convince starlet Callum Hudson-Odoi to agree to a new contract with the Premier League giants, Hudson-Odoi’s current deal is set to expire next summer and a talent of the winger’s calibre needs to be tied down for the long-term.
It’s understood that Holland would be prepared to give Hudson-Odoi a more significant first-team role, which could result in the ace being more open to agreeing a new deal.
Chelsea have a hectic summer ahead of them.
