When it comes to the transfer market, Maurizio Sarri might be the perfect fit for what Chelsea wants to do. While admitting that he wishes to keep and even improve Eden Hazard, the Italian claims he’s “bored” by the transfer market, and “not that interested” in influencing transfer policy.
It’s a 180 degree turn from his predecessor, another Italian, Antonio Conte- who often publicly criticized Chelsea transfer policies and practices. Conte’s clashing with the Stamford Bridge board on player purchases and sales partially led to his demise as Chelsea manager.
Sarri is content to focus on the pitch more, and the transfer market less. He sounds like he’s okay with deferring to Marina Granovskaia, Bruce Buck and other Chelsea board members when it comes to transfer strategy. He does wish to keep forward Eden Hazard and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois though, as the duo are now being heavily pursued by Real Madrid.
“Clearly we would always like to keep all the strongest players. This is what any manager wants to do, this is what any club wants to do,” said Sarri, but then we will have to see how the transfer market will go over the next few days.”
“I feel a lot more of a field manager than a general manager – I think that I am one of the few managers who is bored by the transfer market.”
“I don’t want to talk about the transfer market and I am not that interested in it. I think our task as managers is growing the players that we have.”
Sarri did say that Chelsea need a couple tweaks to the roster however in order to play his brand of attacking football, and named the central midfield as the area in need of a revamping.
Midfielder Jorginho is the only addition of the transfer window so far, but another midfielder, Russian Aleksandr Golovin, is reportedly close to moving to Chelsea.
“I spoke with the football club and said ideally I think that a pinch of quality is lacking in our central midfield for a certain kind of play, otherwise they are at a very high level,” Sarri added.
“At the end of the transfers it will be up to me to understand what kind of football is suitable to the final squad.”
“I cannot claim to come here and change 20 players. I must adapt to Chelsea and the players, and we will see at the end whether we must change something in my game because of the characteristics of the squad.”
Sarri hopes to not just keep Hazard, but also to help the Belgian reach even higher as a player. He knows this will be difficult given how the 27-year-old is already one of the best players in Europe.
“Hazard is a high level player and I think he is one of the top two or three European players,” Sarri continued.
“I would like to have fun during the week with him, this would mean good results and being competitive at the end of the season.”
“I hope I will manage to improve him, this is very difficult as he is at a high level.”
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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