Maurizio Sarri eager to revamp Chelsea defence with two signings if he gets the job

Maurizio Sarri eager to revamp Chelsea defence with two signings if he gets the job

Maurizio Sarri will try to bring Raul Albiol and Daniele Rugani to Chelsea should he land the Stamford Bridge job, according to reports in Italy.

Sarri is understood to be Chelsea's preferred target to come in and replace Antonio Conte who is expected to leave west London after two seasons in charge.

Chelsea are still to prise the 59-year-old away from Napoli however and were unwilling to pay a €8m release clause written into his contract. The Serie A club have already confirmed Carlo Ancelotti as their new head coach and are expected to allow Sarri to leave with the latest reports suggesting they will now settle for a £4.5m compensation fee.

According to Sportitalia and Calciomercato, Sarri is keen to revamp Chelsea's defensive options when he does arrive with the club having already identified a number of targets to come in and improve their backline.

One of those is former Valencia and Real Madrid defender Raul Albiol. The 32-year-old has a release clause of just €6m written into his contract at the Stadio San Paolo; a fee Chelsea would have no trouble meeting should Sarri push for the Spaniard's signing.

Maurizio Sarri eager to revamp Chelsea defence with two signings if he gets the job

The Italian coach is also keen on a reunion with Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, whom he briefly worked with during their spell together at Empoli. Sarri has previously tried to bring the Italy international to Napoli having started just 33 Serie A matches over the last two seasons, only to be thwarted by Juve's reluctance to sell to a domestic rival. An offer from Chelsea could be an entirely different matter.

Sportitalia also note Kalidou Koulibaly as another player on Sarri's list but a move for the Senegal international would call for a far more substantial investment from the Premier League side, with Napoli valuing their centre-half at a staggering €120m, according to RAI Sport.

Chelsea meanwhile could offload David Luiz this summer. Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte report the defender would like to remain at Stamford Bridge but no decision has been made on his future as of yet, despite interest from Napoli of all clubs.

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