It promises to be a very exciting summer transfer window at Chelsea FC, with plenty of potential comings and goings.
So let’s take a spin through the latest transfer rumors and gossip making the rounds on the internet today.
In looking at how the Chelsea FC squad might shape out for 2018-19, one must first start at the top with the managerial situation.
Antonio Conte remains in place for the time being, but it is still largely thought that he’ll be exiting this summer. Let’s take a look at three potential replacement candidates.
His name has been tossed about as a potential successor to Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, and that’s quite convenient, as Chelsea is also one of the more likely landing spots for Zidane, according to speculation.
Other potential Conte replacements include former Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc and Avram Grant, a former Chelsea coach. NBC Sports mentions these two names, and after going into detail on the potential front-runner. The website writes:
“Former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri recently emerged as the favorite to take over in London next season, however, the Serie A side has insisted upon the fact that Chelsea buys out Sarri from his final two years at the club.”
Unfortunately, the deadline to exercise his release clause, worth 8 million Euro, has now expired, making the chances of signing Sarri now more difficult.
ESPN FC writes: “Sarri had emerged as the clear first choice to replace Conte, who is demanding to be sacked by Chelsea rather than resign and lose the money he is due from the final year of his own contract, reported to be in the region of £9m.”
Overall, it seems like Chelsea upper management and leadership are really dragging their feet on this thing, as the season ended with a FA Cup triumph two weeks ago already. Stamford Bridge hasn’t even initiated stage one of managerial regime change yet. Ideally, getting a situation like this resolved before the World Cup, as their arch-rivals did in hiring Unai Emery, would be ideal.
However, there are just 12 days left until the tournament starts, so it doesn’t seem likely that can happen.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
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