Having been in the pipeline for a few months, Maurizio Sarri’s arrival came as a relief for the majority of Chelsea fans. While supporters appreciated the work and trophies Antonio Conte provided, there was a realisation – even before their victory in the FA Cup final – that his position had become untenable. Conte had lost the dressing room after a series of disagreements with the playing staff and Sarri had been identified as his successor some time ago.
Sarri’s appointment represents a real departure from Conte’s more reactive approach and Chelsea fans can expect to see sweeping changes in playing style and formation – if not personnel. The delay in bringing in their man has hampered his chances of imparting his philosophy before the season begins, though the signing of former Napoli midfielder Jorginho will be a key step in that direction.
The Italy international, Sarri’s brain on the pitch, will play a huge part as Chelsea try to adapt to a drastically different way of playing. Everything in Sarri’s Napoli system flowed through Jorginho. He has always been an excellent passer of the ball, but his distribution became even more important under Sarri. His passes per 90 minutes for Napoli shot up from 77.5 in the season before Sarri’s appointment to 110.9 following his arrival. The accuracy of those passes rose too, from 89.2% to 90.9%, and there is no question Sarri will try to build his team around his trusted midfield lieutenant.
A switch to a 4-3-3 formation is in the offing, which will mean deserting the three-man defence that helped Chelsea win the league title under Conte. It remains to be seen how well the players will suit the new shape. Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso were ideal wing-backs in the old system, while Cesar Azpilicueta adapted to the role of a right-sided centre-back superbly, becoming the team’s most consistent performer. The Spaniard may revert to his old right-back position but that would strip the side of their most reliable centre-half.
It’s little surprise that Sarri is shopping for an upgrade in central defence, then. His net has been cast almost exclusively in his homeland and even more specifically than that if Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is to be believed. The club’s outspoken owner says Sarri wanted to “take my whole team to England and dismantle it” and that he had to “lay down the law” to Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia after approaches for a number of Napoli players.
Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly was a target for Chelsea but De Laurentiis says he has rejected “a €100m bid from the Premier League”. Both Leonardo Bonucci of Milan and Daniele Rugani of Juventus are on Sarri’s wishlist as he looks for a defender who can play out from the back.
Napoli passed teams to death at times last season. Their average of 676 short passes per game was second only to Manchester City (699) last season in Europe’s top five leagues. They would work opponents with a long period of possession before springing into incisive, often one-touch passing moves.
This approach requires the right midfield. Jorginho will sit as the fulcrum of the side, meaning that N’Golo Kanté will probably take a No6 role, which could give him slightly more freedom to join attacking moves as he did so successfully at Leicester. Fitting the newly crowned World Cup winner into the side will be easy, but Tiemoue Bakayoko is probably too wasteful for Sarri’s liking.
Cesc Fàbregas may need to adapt his game to find a place in the side. He is very similar to Jorginho, so may be pushed into an advanced, creative role in the midfield three – if he has the legs for the job. Ross Barkley will be hoping to make that position his own as he attempts to relaunch his career at domestic and international level.
If reports are to be believed, both Fabregas and Barkley could be competing with Sergej Milinković-Savić for the goalscoring midfielder role Marek Hamsik played so well for Napoli under Sarri. Milinković-Savić scored 12 goals from the left of a midfield three at Lazio last season. A triumvirate of Jorginho, Kanté and Milinkovic-Savic would give Sarri a true blend of physicality and creativity.
Elsewhere, the club may need to replace goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois should he leave for Real Madrid. Eden Hazard and Willian have also been linked with moves to Spain, even though both forwards would fit into Sarri’s favoured front three formation very naturally. There could even be opportunities to experiment with Hazard’s position. His Belgium team-mate Dries Mertens excelled under Sarri at Napoli when he moved into a central role, something that might also suit Hazard.
That said, Sarri’s set-up still requires a striker, with Álvaro Morata struggling for form and Olivier Grioud already being touted as a departure. Gonzalo Higuaín would fit the bill, especially after Juventus signed Cristiano Ronaldo. Higuaín enjoyed remarkable success under Sarri in Naples. They had just one season together at the Stadio San Paolo but Higuaín was unstoppable in that 2015-16 campaign, breaking the Serie A goalscoring record with 36 goals in 35 appearances. A move to Turin followed and, despite scoring 40 goals in his two seasons with the Italian champions, another move would make sense for both clubs and the player.
If Sarri were to bring in Higuaín and complete his puzzle, Chelsea could be a real force this season. Things are going to be very different at the Bridge and fans are understandably excited about the new direction. They will not be distracted by the lure of potential Champions League glory, which will give Sarri more time to concentrate on bouncing back in the league.
It seems managing Chelsea is an Italian job nowadays. Their last three coaches from the peninsula have lifted major trophies in their first seasons – Carlo Ancelotti’s double in 2009-10, Roberto Di Matteo’s triumph in the Champions League in 2012, and Conte’s league title last May.
Sarri offers the prospect of a brand of football the fans have not seen at Stamford Bridge, but his legacy will be judged on silverware and even that doesn’t offer job security at Chelsea. Combine the attacking football the board have craved for many years with trophies and Sarri could yet become the manager who leaves on his own terms.
The Guardian Sport
