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Maurizio Sarri

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Maurizio Sarri was Deciding Factor in Willian’s Blues Career

It’s no secret that a number of Antonio Conte’s relationships at Chelsea fell apart towards the back end of last season. David Luiz and Willian were the two main outcasts following Diego Costa’s argument-fuelled departure to Atletico 12 months ago. The latter was heavily linked to a summer move away with Manchester United and Barcelona reportedly interested but the Brazilian wideman has now said he will be a Blues player on September 1st.

Weighing Up Chelsea’s 2018/19 Attacking Options

The upcoming Premier League season is just around the corner for Chelsea. Under a new regime led by Italian schemer Maurizio Sarri, the Blues’ preparations are well underway. The club hierarchy is keen to support the new manager with a fresh batch of recruits, yet the arrivals have been relatively slow, with Chelsea missing out on a couple of transfer targets, especially ones viewed to provide competition in the striker role for Alvaro Morata and co.

Chelsea in Talks with Juventus Over Massive Swap Deal

Chelsea have opened negotiations with Italian giants Juventus regarding the possibility of signing Gonzalo Higuain with Alvaro Morata going the other way, according to reports.

Maurizio Sarri was finally unveiled as the new Chelsea boss on Friday after the club has confirmed the sacking of fellow Italian Antonio Conte. Sarri, who signed a three-year contract, is set to be joined by Blues legend Gianfranco Zola as his number two, and the Chelsea hierarchy have worked quickly to support the new manager’s squad overhaul, with Higuain emerging as one of the top targets for the former Napoli boss. Sarri had previously worked with Higuain in Naples for a year before the forward joined Juventus and the former Partenopei boss is now keen on a reunion with the Argentine forward at West London.

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According to the Daily Mail, the Blues are plotting a deal that involves Morata moving the other way in a cash-plus-player offer for Higuain. The forward underwhelmed in his first season at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are willing to let the 25-year-old Spaniard rejoin the Turin outfit. However, the Old Lady would favour just the cash in order to recoup some of the money they paid for Cristiano Ronaldo’s £100m signing from Real Madrid, according to the Daily Mail. It also remains to be seen whether Higuain, who earns a reported £240,000 a week in Juve, would prefer to make the move to England.

On the other hand, Morata arrived at Chelsea over a year ago as the club’s record signing but performed inconsistently, with fitness problems hounding 25-year-old. Conte did not see the striker as a good fit for his preferred system as well, prompting the Blues to secure the services of Olivier Giroud at the turn of the year. Morata scored 15 goals in all competitions for the Blues but ultimately was not selected for the Spain World Cup squad.