- Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri is being considered by Chelsea as their next manager
- The Italian is one option as the Blues prepare for life after Antonio Conte
- Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone has made known he does not want the job
- Sarri has a £7.1m release clause in his Napoli contract which is valid until May 31
- His philosophy was praised this season by Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola
Chelsea are considering Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri to replace Antonio Conte after Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone ruled himself out of the Stamford Bridge job.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Blues owner Roman Abramovich has been impressed by Sarri’s style of football at the Stadio San Paolo.
Napoli currently sit top of Serie A after producing 18 wins, three draws and one defeat this season.
Chelsea are considering Napoli head coach Maurizio Sarri as a replacement for Antonio Conte
It is widely accepted that this will be Conte’s last season in charge at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea are attracted to Sarri’s affordable £7.1m release clause should they make an approach
Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport runs the story on the front of Saturday’s edition
The Italian manager has an affordable release clause in his contract with Napoli, allowing any club to buy him out for €8million (£7m) up until May 31.
Sarri’s footballing philosophy has been widely praised by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who called Napoli one of the best teams in Europe after his City side faced the Italians in this season’s Champions League.
Despite Conte’s protestations that he still has 18 months to run on his contract, many believe this is his final campaign at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are understood to be assessing their replacement options.
Sarri is on the club’s shortlist as it appeals to the Premier League club that he often refuses to demand new signings.
He instead insists it is his job to work with an improve the players at his disposal.
Sarri’s football philosophy has been widely praised by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola