Chelsea turn attentions away from Sarri in search for new manager

The Italian coach left Napoli last week and was widely expected to take the Chelsea job

Chelsea are said to be focusing their attentions away from manager Maurizio Sarri, whom it was widely expected would replace Antonio Conte as manager at Stamford Bridge. Though Conte remains employed by Chelsea after a disappointing season, Sarri's sacking by Napoli earlier in the month left many under the assumption that it was only a matter of time before he moved to the Premier League. According to a report in Football Italia however, Chelsea have been put off by Sarri's release at Napoli where - despite no longer being employed as manager - his contract remains valid and salary paid. Napoli have demanded that any club looking to hire Sarri must pay his nearly £7 million release clause, something which the club's president Aurelio De Laurentiis stated recently is yet to happen. That delay has apparently opened the door for ex-France and PSG coach Laurent Blanc, who is said to have met with the Blues over the managerial post. Blanc, who has been out of management for the last two years, has already met with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia over the possibility of joining the club.