Maurizio Sarri being named Lazio manager is perfect for Chelsea

If Chelsea fans thought their club’s way of handing the managerial spot was weird, they should take a look at Italy. Serie A’s coaching carousel is a true enigma. In the last few weeks alone, we’ve seen Juventus replace Andrea Pirlo with former manager Massimiliano Allegri, Jose Mourinho take charge of Roma, Gennaro Gattuso sacked at Napoli just to end up at Fiorentina and Antonio Conte quit Inter Milan after winning the title. The latter caused a chain reaction that resulted in this article as Simone Inzaghi of Lazio took over Conte’s squad.

Maurizio Sarri is now officially back. The former Blues boss was named as Inzaghi’s replacement at Lazio recently. The polarizing manager returns to the football scene after a one-year hiatus following his dismissal in Turin. Sarri will be looking to guide Le Aquile back into the top four after missing out last season. This is music to Chelsea’s ears.

The Blues have struggled to sell their, for lack of a better term, deadweight in recent seasons. Chelsea wasn’t pressed for time a few years ago given the club’s transfer ban, but now the clock is ticking. Frank Lampard complained about his squad being too big heading into the 2020/21 campaign, Thomas Tuchel must surely be thinking the same thing as he prepares for summer additions. Factor in FIFA’s new loan restrictions and the Blues find themselves entangled in a race against time.

How does this relate to Lazio and Sarri though? It’s quite simple: familiarity equals desire.

Maurizio Sarri’s appointment at Lazio benefits Chelsea’s ability to sell.

Managers—particularly Sarri—tend to target those they’ve worked with in the past when trying to implement an unfamiliar system at a new destination. This is the major reason why the Italian coach brought Jorginho with him to Stamford Bridge. It’s highly unlikely Sarri is able to poach the midfielder from Chelsea, especially following a Champions League victory, but there are a handful of other players he could help the Blues offload.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been the talk of the town lately. While Sarri is largely responsible for the lowest of lows in the Englishman’s time as a footballer (the memory of that friendly in Boston still infuriates Chelsea fans), he also must be credited with elevating the midfielder’s game. Loftus-Cheek enjoyed the best stretch of his career under the Italian’s guidance. He struggled for game time under Lampard at Chelsea and didn’t exactly impress at Fulham. Therefore, it’s safe to say there are question marks regarding his future.

The Blues are reportedly open to selling or loaning out the 25-year-old and Lazio could be the ideal destination. Sarri is keen on a reunion with Loftus-Cheek as he would kickstart the Italian’s takeover. The 62-year-old manager has his own unique style in ‘Sarriball’ that requires a tremendous amount of discipline; who better to help implement the tactics than someone who already knows them?

Loftus-Cheek isn’t the only one Sarri would be interested in though. One player who featured heavily under the Europa League-winning boss was Emerson. The Italian left back was brought to the club by Conte, but hasn’t been a prominent member of the starting XI under any of the four managers he’s played under except for Sarri. Emerson is a good ball-playing left back who possesses speed and skill. His familiarity with Serie A and desire to return to Italy only make the move more sensible.

Lastly, there are the two outside shouts. Marcos Alonso is still a very good wingback and/or left back in a possession-heavy system outside of England. Chelsea’s acquisition of Ben Chilwell, interest in Achraf Hakimi (who can play both fullback positions) and the rise of Ian Maatsen mean Alonso’s time at Stamford Bridge could be coming to an end. He wasn’t Sarri’s favorite, but like Emerson, he possesses experience in Serie A.

Ross Barkley is another possible option. Ever since his injury troubles at Everton, the English No. 10 has failed to get his career back on track. Sarri took a particular liking to him in preseason though, claiming he was an important player for his system. It’s unknown whether or not Barkley would move abroad, but given his current career trajectory, the answer is likely yes. His inexpensive transfer to west London means the Blues won’t slap a massive price tag on him either.

Each of the aforementioned players represents a realistic option for Sarri. Those transfers would be beneficial for both sides seeing as they’d help the Italian boost his new side and also get them off Chelsea’s books. The Blues have had trouble offloading players recently, which is why another familiar face in a major European league is a huge positive.

There are bound to be more players sold this summer than last given the fact the worldwide economy has begun to bounce back—especially as far as the transfer market is concerned. That being said, another connection has now been made, strengthening Chelsea’s odds to sell.