Maurizio Sarri’s appointment as Juventus coach is being held up by Chelsea’s demand for compensation, sources have told ESPN FC.
Juventus are hoping that Sarri will simply be released from his contract at Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea want the Serie A side to buy their head coach out of his deal for a fee in the region of £5 million.
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Sarri is still expected to be confirmed as the new Juventus coach sooner rather than later, but Chelsea want to be reimbursed for losing the man who led them to a third-place finish in the Premier League as well as Europa League triumph against Arsenal in Baku last week.
Speaking this week, Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici indicated that the announcement of Massimiliano Allegri’s successor may not be made quickly.
“We have very clear ideas and we are working,” he said. “It takes a moment, we have a range of coaches, there is not only one name. How long will it take? There is no time limit, we are working very quietly.”
Sarri, meanwhile, dropped a clear hint of his desire to return to Italy in an interview with Vanity Fair magazine in his homeland.
“For us Italians, the lure of home is strong,” he said. “You feel something is missing. It has been a difficult year. I start feeling the weight of my friends being so far, of my elderly parents who I see so rarely.”
Chelsea are hoping to use the delay in finalising Sarri’s departure to clarify their plans for who will succeed the Italian at Stamford Bridge.
Derby County manager and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has been widely touted as the frontrunner for the post, while sources told ESPN FC that Watford boss Javi Gracia is also in the frame.