Question marks surrounding the Chelsea managerial situation have held the club up from getting any transfer business done this summer, but that looks set to change soon.
A new report indicates that progress has been made in talks between Chelsea and Napoli over Maurizio Sarri, who is set to replace current incumbent Antonio Conte as the new Blues boss. Sarri is reportedly set to sign a three year deal, which then begs the question- who will his first signing in the summer transfer market be?
The Blues have been linked to the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Dries Mertens and Jean Michael Seri this summer, but the first player to come over, once the Sarri era begins, could be Juventus defender Daniele Rugani.
That’s according to the London Evening Standard, who claim Chelsea made a £35 million bid for Rugani, and Italian international who played under Sarri during a two-year loan spell at Empoli. The Standard cautions this claim, adding that Chelsea “face a tough task convincing Juventus to sell,” but they will offer “a five-year contract worth around £60,000-a-week – double what Rugani earns in Turin.”
Once Sarri deal is done, perhaps the Rugani signing will follow, and then the transfer dominoes will fall. Stamford Bridge has yet to make even one signing this summer, and this year the window closes much earlier than usual.
The west London side has about six weeks to get all their business done- that time is actually much shorter than it sounds.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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