Chelsea have given Juventus a huge Maurizio Sarri signal as talks start over £6m deal

The Italian champions have earmarked Sarri as a replacement for the recently-departed Massimo Allegri, who left the Turin club in May after five seasons in charge.

The former Napoli boss is understood to have held talks with Juve’s sporting director Fabio Patrici and is keen on taking charge of the Old Lady.

A lucrative £6.2million-a-year contract is on the table for the 60-year-old, who guided Chelsea to Europa League glory last week.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino was also on Juve’s radar, though luring him away from north London could prove to be difficult.

The Serie A giants, however, are confident of installing Sarri as their new manager after receiving a massive clue from the Chelsea brass.

Express Sport understands the Italians have already been made aware that the Chelsea hierarchy will not stand in Sarri’s way should he want to take up the challenge at the Allianz Stadium.

Sarri has already told his employers he wants to leave, so it would be in the club’s best interest to grant his wish.

Chelsea endured a difficult season under Sarri but rallied late on to register a third-place finish and win the Europa League.

And Sarri, like many others, believes his haul in his debut season in England warrants another year at the Stamford Bridge helm.

He said: “I deserve to stay as manager, but that is only my opinion and my opinion is not enough.

“We have to speak, of course. We need to know what the club can do for me, what I can do better for the club. I need to speak to the club, but the club needs to speak to me. Maybe in a couple of days, but I have a contract here.

“You know very well I love the Premier League, I love the competition and I’m lucky I’m at Chelsea, one of the best clubs in the best Championships in the world. I am happy, but I want to know what the club thinks and whether we can improve.

“It is normal to have those conversations. I have had those conversations at the end of every season at every club I’ve been at.”

Chelsea’s Europa League triumph, which came against their London rivals Arsenal, was the first time Sarri has won silverware in his managerial career.

After the Blues’ 4-1 drubbing of the Gunners, he said: “I am really very happy, but I think the shirt is important. The front of the shirt.

“The trophy is very important for the club. That is less important the back of the shirt, the name of the players and the name of the coach.

“Of course, the trophy is very important for us because our feeling was we deserved to win. We were in trouble in January and February, then reacted.

“The Premier League is not easy to react in because the level is really very high. In the end we got into the Champions League through the Premier League – not easy.

“We played the final in the League Cup and qualified against Liverpool and Tottenham, the finalists in the Champions League. Then we lost on penalties against Manchester City.

“In the Europa League, we played 15 matches and won 12 games, and drew three. I think we deserved to win the Europa League. It’s very important for me, but very important for us. I’m really very happy with my players.”

source: express.co.uk