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With Maurizio Sarri in charge of Chelsea now, things are going to drastically change at Stamford Bridge. We have already seen the arrival of Jorginho from Napoli along with the arrival of Sarri and we may see some more new faces at the London club before the transfer window ends.
Sarri is an experienced manager and he had an impressive 65.99% win rate at Napoli but with the Italian not being able to win any trophy so far in his career, it will be difficult for him to convince the players to believe in him. Sarri would love to keep all of the Chelsea players but with the Blues out of the Champions League for this season and with some discontent already present in the dressing room with some of the events happening last season with Antonio Conte, it doesn't get any easy for Sarri.
Here are five players who could be affected:
#1 Alvaro Morata
The former Real Madrid striker didn’t have the best of the seasons with the Blues the last time. Morata was signed by Antonio Conte to fill in the void left by Diego Costa’s absence last season.
After an impressive start to the 2017-18 season, Morata struggled immensely to make a difference in front of the goal. It was not just his decision-making but also his sharpness in the box that wasn’t going right. With Olivier Giroud’s arrival last winter, Morata struggled more to keep his place in the starting XI for the London side and with new manager Maurizio Sarri willing to bring former Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea, Morata’s future at the club becomes more doubtful.
In a bid to bring Higuain to London, we might see Morata going the other way back to Turin. Morata had an impressive spell with Juventus and with Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala around him, there are chances he can regain his lost form and get back to scoring goals regularly. Practically, it is a deal which can happen and it can work out well for both the players involved. According to the recent reports, AC Milan also remains an option for the Spanish striker.
#2 N’Golo Kante
It is safe to say that the former Leicester City midfielder had a phenomenal time at the 2018 World Cup. He was almost everywhere protecting the French back four and allowing Paul Pogba and France’s attacking players to do their bit in the opposition defence.
What’s most impressive about Kante is his consistency. From winning the Premier League with Leicester City to winning the World Cup with France, Kante has always stood out as one of the standout players for both his club and country. His intense work-rate and defensive abilities have been a delight to watch.
Amid his spectacular performance in Russia, Kante has been linked with a move away to Barcelona. Also, recent rumours suggest that Paris Saint Germain (PSG) are also interested to get his signature. Barcelona desperately want the French midfielder at Camp Nou, considering the departure of Sergio Busquets in the near future. The Catalan club will possibly do everything possible within their capabilities to sign Kante and with Jorginho signing for Chelsea, it is likely that the move may happen this summer if Chelsea fail to offer a lucrative contract to the Frenchman.
#3 Willian
The Brazilian attacker was very disappointed last season as the relationship between him and last season’s Chelsea manager Antonio Conte faded with time. Willian made it clear that he will opt to leave if the Italian manager stayed as the Chelsea manager but with the former Juventus manager sacked and Maurizio Sarri taking his place, it is unclear as to where Willian’s future lies.
In spite of Sarri’s arrival, Willian has been linked with a move away to Barcelona and Manchester United too still seem to be in the race for the right winger. As of now, nothing can be confirmed as to what may happen with Willian. Apparently, Barcelona have prioritized signing Kante over Willian which makes this case very uncertain. Sarri will have to convince Willian to stay before it gets too late.
#4 Thibaut Courtois
The former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper did well in the World Cup as he deservingly won the Golden Glove at the end of the tournament. Courtois was stunning during his time with Atletico and with Chelsea too, he has been in decent form.
Courtois is one of Premier League’s finest goalkeepers right now and with Real Madrid looking for a new goalkeeper almost every summer, this time it looks like the Belgian is on his way back to Spain. Courtois’ children reside in Spain which gives the Chelsea #1 a big motive to return to La liga. Real Madrid seem to have been in contact with Chelsea over the transfer of Courtois as they plan to make him their #1 replacing Keylor Navas.
At Real Madrid, Courtois sure has the chance to achieve more both as an individual and with the team, given how successful the Los Blancos have been in the recent past. Courtois does know that he won't get such chances time and again in his career and if he has to capitalize, it would be now.
Sarri now has a tough task in his hand to convince Courtois to stay with the limited time he has. Chelsea have William Caballero as their second choice goalkeeper and it is safe to say after seeing his performance last season and in the World Cup that the Argentine goalkeeper hasn’t done enough to get a regular spot in Chelsea’s starting XI. Apparently, Chelsea are seeking to hijack Liverpool’s chance of signing Roma goalkeeper Alisson Becker to replace Courtois at the Stamford Bridge for the upcoming season.
#5 Eden Hazard
The Belgian captain had a stunning time in Russia in the World Cup. It was unlucky that Belgium couldn’t reach the final of the tournament, but nevertheless it was a memorable spell for the Belgian fans.
Hazard mesmerized many with his swift and sharp skills on the ball, helping in both scoring and assisting his teammates. He was the difference-maker for Belgium and his performance in the World Cup has surely silenced many critics. With Cristiano Ronaldo signing for Juventus recently, there is no doubt that Real Madrid and Florentino Perez would be looking for a quality replacement for the Portuguese.
Eden Hazard, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are some of the likely options to replace him from which the Chelsea man looks very much practically possible. Also, after Belgium’s exit from the World Cup, Hazard confirmed that he would like to experiment with his football and in a bid to achieve that, he may opt to move away from Chelsea this summer.
He did ensure that the onus is on Chelsea to have a say in his future but with Real Madrid knocking, there is very little Chelsea can do to keep Hazard, especially with the Blues, playing in the Europa League this season. It will be a massive transfer if it happens and it will only justify the domino effect that was predicted when Ronaldo decided to join Juventus. Chelsea will have to act quickly because if this transfer is to take place, they will have to find a replacement the soonest.
