Antonio Conte could well be followed onto the Chelsea bench by another Italian, with Maurizio Sarri the front-runner for the job.
The Napoli boss has seen his stock rise this season with the Partenopei playing excellent football, as well as pushing Juventus all the way in Serie A.
According to Il Messagero, Sarri met with representatives of the London side at an airport last month, and talks were reported to have lasted around four hours, but no firm conclusion was reached.
It is thought that Roman Abramovich wants to continue with Italian coaches, and in Sarri feels he has the man to take the Blues back to the top table after a disappointing season under Conte.
There is a contract on the table worth around €5 million per year, but it is not clear whether Sarri would be happy to leave his project in Naples incomplete.
Recent speculation has suggested Sarri is unhappy with criticism from Napoli President Aurelio Di Laurentiis and should no resolution be found between the pair, he wouldn’t hesitate in leaving the Stadio San Paolo.
Should they fail in their bid for Sarri, Chelsea may fall back on Brendan Rodgers or Luis Enrique.
