Unreliable papers tend to pick up on the same rumor despite it being easily disproved by reliable sources. Step up Maurizio Sarri to Chelsea rumors.
Since the pressure heated up around Antonio Conte, and it became more and more certain that he may be gone in the summer, Chelsea have been consistently linked with three managers: Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel and Maurizio Sarri.
All offer a similar brand of football. The former two had the advantage of being unemployed. The Sarri link was more wishful thinking. But Enrique appears to be less likely with his wage demands and Tuchel appears to be off to Paris Saint Germain. Reputable sources have said, besides Enrique and Tuchel, Chelsea are looking at “young and dynamic” managers with jobs that could take over at the Blues.
Sarri may be dynamic but he is by no means young. He is currently 59 and has had a long, yet uneventful career. That has not stopped papers from circulating a rumor that he has been contacted by Chelsea. But any chance of getting Sarri easily falls apart.
First of all, there is the already mentioned “young and dynamic” part. That phrase implies that Chelsea are looking for someone with fresh ideas who is adaptable and could potentially be with the club for a long time. Sarri’s ideas are not new. They are essentially a blend of what Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique brought to Barcelona. It is possession based with an eye towards moving the ball up, not just around.
It is incredibly eye catching to watch. But most forget that it took Sarri nearly three seasons to implement it the way it is right now. He improved Napoli from where they were before, but no one was talking about them with awe until this year.
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In the meantime, Napoli have won exactly zero trophies despite their style of play. In fact, Sarri has never won a trophy at any level. And Napoli is easily the biggest club he has ever managed.
Chelsea appear to be looking for prodigies, not for late bloomers. By all reports, they are looking for a young manager who has achieved or has been at a big club or two, not someone who is currently the flavor of the month.
The current Blues’ squad is also far from the type that Sarri would need for his tactics. Chelsea lack full backs who can overlap and midfielders who can control the play as well as attack. Sarri has done well at clubs by using what is available but Chelsea are far from set up for his type of football.
And all of this is not to mention that he still has a contract at Napoli. And if Chelsea are uninterested in fighting another club over managerial severance packages, then they will want to steer clear of Napoli.
Simply go back to the Kalidou Koulibaly rumors. Supposedly, Chelsea made a bid and Napoli set and asking price. Chelsea then met that asking price only for the price to go up again. This lasted the entire summer of 2016. Chelsea gave up and signed David Luiz last minute to cover the gap.
If Napoli were that willing to bait and switch with a player, why would they not be willing to do so with the manager that has them within touching distance of breaking Juventus’ monopoly? That, more than anything, is why the reputable sources stopped mentioning Sarri months ago. Whatever interest Chelsea may have will surely be cooled by the battle they would have to go through to get him.
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So do not buy into the Sarri rumors too closely. Enrique and Tuchel may be off the board now or soon but that does not mean Chelsea will not have an eye towards attainable managers. Sarri simply does not fit the bill which is why this rumor is just a bunch of smoke.