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Antonio Conte: Chelsea had one reason for wanting Maurizio Sarri, three players key
ANTONIO CONTE has left Chelsea, and the Blues reportedly had one big reason for wanting Maurizio Sarri as his replacement.
Chelsea are near to a Maurizio Sarri deal says expert
Conte’s Chelsea career is over with the Italian finally parting company with his west London employers.
The Italian, who steered the club to the Premier League and FA Cup titles during his two-year reign, has finally left the club after 63 days of uncertainty.
Chelsea are now primed to announce former Napoli boss Sarri as his replacement, with talks at an advanced stage.
The Blues had previously been in talks with Napoli over a compensation package and the Serie A giants’ president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, said on Wednesday: “Sarri is close to being the new Chelsea manager.
“My lawyers are in talks with his lawyers to finalise everything.”
And The Sun have now delved into why Chelsea have finally made the decision to put Conte out of his misery.
It is said they feel Sarri will be a refreshing change for players used to Conte’s brutal training demands.
And they also suggest that three players were key to the decision.
Chelsea face a fight to keep both Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard out of Real Madrid’s clutches.
Courtois is determined to return to Spain because of his family, who live there.
Antonio Conte reflects on Chelsea achievements
Real are eyeing a deal with Julen Lopetegui expected to demote Keylor Navas.
Hazard, meanwhile, is wanted by Real Madrid to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Juventus earlier this week.
His Chelsea team-mate, Willian, is on the radar of Manchester United and Barcelona.
But The Sun say Chelsea are hopeful that, now Sarri is in charge, the trio will decide to stay at Stamford Bridge.
Whether his appointment is enough, however, remains to be seen.