Chelsea drop Sarri for Blanc?

By Football Italia staff

It’s increasingly unlikely Maurizio Sarri will be the new Chelsea manager, as the club won’t pay his release clause and met Laurent Blanc.

President Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed today that he has “not received any contact” from Chelsea or other clubs ready to pay the €8m release clause in Sarri’s contract.

Even though Sarri was fired last week to make way for Carlo Ancelotti, his contract is still valid and his salary paid, so De Laurentiis has no intention of simply letting his former Coach go scot free.

“There has not been any contact, no club has called me. I don’t give discounts, as I have to defend my fans. The clause is there to defend me and allow me to make certain decisions.

“When my decisions are not respected and I am asked to modify the contract, you have to then respect it. You ask me for more money, you got that and so therefore now the clause must be respected, otherwise it’s not a bilateral contract.”

There are reports in Italy today that Chelsea do not intend to pay the €8m release clause, which expires on Thursday anyway.

It means either Sarri will have to negotiate a termination with Napoli by mutual consent or he’ll stay off the market for a year.

According to France Football, Chelsea are already looking elsewhere to replace Antonio Conte, as director Marina Granovskaia met with former Paris Saint-Germain boss Blanc.

He was a Chelsea player during the Claudio Ranieri era and his last management job was in 2016.

Blanc worked at Bordeaux from 2007 to 2010, then had an ill-fated two-year spell as Coach of France.

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