Maurizio Sarri has reached an agreement withΒ JuventusΒ to become theΒ Serie Achampions’ next head coach and has requestedΒ Chelsea release him from his contract to join the Bianconeri.
Fali Ramadani, Sarri’s agent, met with Chelsea management Friday to discuss his client’s future with the club as a move to Turin draws closer and closer.
The 60-year-old Sarri intended to wait until the end of the season, and specifically theΒ Europa LeagueΒ final,Β to considerΒ the subject of what came next in his career.
But the Chelsea boss has received an offer from Juventus that would pay him β¬7 million (Β£6m/$8m) to succeedΒ Massimiliano Allegri, who had coached the Bianconeri to five straight league titles,Β at the club.
Ramadani relayed news of that offer to Chelsea, as well as Sarri’s request to be allowed to join Juventus, though the Blues will take a few days before providing the manager with an answer.
Chelsea do not want to be unprepared for Sarri’s departure and are targeting a new manager before giving the green light for their current boss to leave.
Former Chelsea star and currentΒ Derby CountyΒ manager Frank Lampard has been linked with the job in recent weeks, though the ex-Blues midfielder has downplayed those reports in the build up to his side’s 2-1 defeat toΒ Aston VillaΒ in the Championship promotion play-off final.
Sarri appears to have beaten out a host of candidates for the position, though that list includes a trio of managers in Mauricio Pochettino, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp who were unlikely to depart for Turin due to their strong relationships with their current clubs.
Having been the subject to speculation about his job for much of the second half of the season, and enduring a difficult relationship with the Chelsea supporters, Sarri did not share the same connection to the club as his Premier League colleagues.
Should Sarri depart for Juventus, he will leave Chelsea having improved on the league position achieved by Antonio Conte in 2017-18, going from fifth to third, and returned the club to theΒ Champions LeagueΒ for next term.
He also guided the Blues to a pair of finals, falling toΒ Manchester CityΒ in theΒ Carabao CupΒ decider on penalties while defeating London rivalsΒ ArsenalΒ 4-1 in the Europa League final on May 29.
Sarri will be joining a former rival in the process, having guidedΒ NapoliΒ from 2015-18, guiding them to a pair of second-place finishes behind Juventus.
Credit: Goal.com
