'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last week, after months of speculation the worst kept secret in football was confirmed as Chelsea sacked Antonio Conte and replaced him with Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri. It was a change that we expected all summer at Stamford Bridge, so it surprised no one when the clubs announced it.
Despite his constant wars with the board, Conte had two successful seasons with Chelsea. When he joined the Blues in 2016, they had just come off a tenth place finish in the Premier League, but in his first season at the club, he successfully changed to a 3-4-3 formation, and took Chelsea to the title in stunning fashion, including a club record 13-game winning run.
However, he fell out with the board over transfers, including Conte’s reported treatment of Diego Costa, where he told the Spaniard by text that he was no longer a part of his plans. He was also unhappy with the board for their failure to secure his top transfer targets, most notably Romelu Lukaku and Radja Nainggolan.
He remained in charge for the second season, and won the FA Cup, beating Manchester United in the final. They struggled in the second half of the league season though, and finished fifth, missing out on qualification to the Champions League.
On Saturday, it was announced that Sarri would be replacing Conte at Stamford Bridge. His first act as manager was to bring Jorginho to the club from his former club Napoli, but he will know that with just over three weeks left in the transfer window, there is still work to do. Here are five big decisions he must make before the start of the season.
#1 The goalkeeper situation
Thibaut Courtois has been Chelsea’s undisputed number one since the start of the 2014-15 season, when he returned to the club having spent three seasons out on loan at Spanish side Atletico Madrid.
However in the last couple of weeks, it seems like he has set his mind on a return to Spain, and Madrid. This time Real Madrid look like the most likely destination, with the Champions League winners thought to be considering a move for the Belgian. Courtois’ children still live in Madrid, so it makes sense for him to move to Spain and be closer to them.
The choice for Sarri must be whether he thinks there is enough time left in the transfer window to replace him, and if so, who he replaces him with.
Roma’s Alisson is a name that keeps popping up, and it looks like he will probably be the man Chelsea move for if Courtois leaves. He proved in Roma’s impressive run to the Champions League semi-final last season that he is a top goalkeeper, but he won’t come cheap.
#2 What to do with Ruben Loftus-Cheek
It has been a long time since a player came through the Chelsea academy and established himself in the first team. In fact, no one has done so since John Terry, although Andreas Christensen has the potential to do so.
Someone else who has that sort of potential is Ruben Loftus-Cheek, whose impressive performances on loan for Crystal Palace earned him a place in England’s World Cup squad.
He now returns to Chelsea, but he may not be there for much longer. The 22-year-old will need to be playing regular first team football if he is to retain his spot in the England team, and there is a good chance he won’t get that at Chelsea.
However, he does play the game in a way that will suit the way Sarri wants to play, so he may be prepared to give him one last chance at Stamford Bridge.
#3 The Hazard and Willian puzzle
For years, Eden Hazard and Willian have been the first choice wingers for Chelsea, but there are rumours linking both of them with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer. Barcelona are reported to have made two bids for Willian so far in this transfer window, with the second bid around the £53 million mark.
It was clear that the Brazilian was unhappy with manager Antonio Conte last season, but now he is gone, he might be open to the idea of staying at Chelsea.
Hazard made it clear after Belgium’s third place play-off win over England at the World Cup that he was considering leaving Chelsea this summer. He has been a brilliant player for the Blues in the last six years, but has made no secret of his admiration for Real Madrid.
That move looks even more likely, given that Real have just sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, and it is possible that they will be looking for a natural replacement, and Hazard is certainly that.
#4 The Alvaro Morata situation
Chelsea paid a club record £60 million to bring Morata to London from Juventus last season, after Diego Costa was banished from the first team.
He started the season well, and had his tenth league goal for the club on Boxing Day, but only struck once in the league in the next five months. Towards the end of the season, he was left out of the side and replaced by Olivier Giroud who joined from Arsenal in January.
There are rumours that Sarri will look to bring Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea from Juventus. That would most likely spell the end for Morata at Chelsea, but he may feel he has more to offer in his second season in England.
His first year was interrupted by injuries, and the uncertainty behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge can’t have helped, so Sarri may want to give Morata another opportunity to make his mark in the Premier League.
#5 The third man in midfield
Sarri favoured the 4-3-3 formation in his time with Napoli, and given the signing of Jorginho, it looks like he will play that at Chelsea as well.
He is likely to repeat what he did in Italy, with Jorginho at the base of that midfield three, and it looks inevitable that the brilliant N’Golo Kante will play on one side, leaving the spot on the other side free.
Cesc Fabregas is the midfielder currently at Chelsea who best fits this system, but all three of Danny Drinkwater, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ross Barkley will hope to stake their claim for the spot.
There is still a chance that none of them get the nod, with suggestions that Chelsea are close to signing Aleksandr Golovin from CSKA Moscow. Whatever happens with that deal, Sarri will have a lot of options available to him in the middle of the park.
