Maurizio Sarri expected to finalise Chelsea move on Monday | OneFootball

Chelsea’s pursuit of Maurizio Sarri finally appears to be over.

According to Italian newspaper Il Mattino, the former Napoli boss will fly to London on Monday to finalise terms.

An official announcement isn’t expected until later in the week but Chelsea do look to be getting their man at long last.

The west London club had hoped to strike a deal early in the summer as Sarri quit Napoli. However, the Serie A side refused to release the 59-year-old from his contract and stood firm over negotiations with Chelsea.

Reports in Italy say a €5m compensation agreement has been reached but Chelsea are still hoping to avoid a significant pay-off for Antonio Conte, who is determined not to break his own contract.

Conte’s compensation would be expensive and it appeared that had scuppered a deal for Sarri, with Chelsea looking at cheaper alternatives such as Laurent Blanc.

Now, though, Sarri’s move to London has been resurrected and Chelsea are just missing an agreement with Conte.

Oddly, the report also says Sarri will move into Chelsea’s Cobham training ground rather than finding somewhere to live in the city.