Chelsea won't block Sarri joining Juventus as Blues demand £5m fee for head coach

Nizaar Kinsella

Chelsea won't block Sarri joining Juventus as Blues demand £5m fee for head coach image

Chelsea will not stand in manager Maurizio Sarri's way if he looks to leave the club this summer, though they will inform Juventus they will require a £5 million ($6.3m) fee to release him from his contract.

Goal  understands that the Blues hierarchy want a head coach who is passionate about working in west London to lead them into next season.

Watch the Europa League Final May 29 LIVE on DAZN CA

Publicly the former Napoli boss has insisted he remains committed to the Stamford Bridge outfit, but privately there are doubts within the Chelsea boardroom as to whether that is truly the case.

Sarri will meet with the club's directors following the Europa League final on Wednesday to seek assurances over his future, though the interest from Juventus in the 60-year-old may allow the Blues to move on without having to wield the axe themselves.

Serie A champions Juve are looking for a replacement for the departing Massimiliano Allegri , and despite reports claiming that Pep Guardiola is their preferred choice, moves have already been made to bring Sarri to Turin .

Roma and AC Milan have also shown an interest in appointing Sarri, but it is understood that the Bianconeri are his most likely destination should he depart Chelsea this summer.

Sarri still holds a strong reputation in Italy, with many deeming a first campaign in England in which he led his new club to third in the Premier League and the finals of both the Europa League and the Carabao Cup as successful.

A significant number of Blues fans disagree, however, with Sarri regularly hounded by supporters at times during the second half of the campaign.

Should Sarri depart, former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has emerged as the frontrunner to replace him, having led Derby County to the Championship play-off final in his first season in management.

Frank Lampard Derby County 2018-19

The Rams came from behind to beat Leeds United 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals following a sixth-placed finish in the league and face Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium on Monday for a place in the Premier League next season.

As well as being a legend of the club, Chelsea's interest in Lampard has been seen by some to suggest that the club are looking to appoint a coach with experience of coaching young players in light of their potential transfer ban.

Lampard has overseen the development of Blues loanees Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori at Derby this season, with both players key to the success of the Pride Park outfit.

And with academy graduates Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Reece James expected to be given more opportunities to impress should Chelsea be unable to make any signings over the next 12 months, then Lampard could be the perfect mentor within the dugout.

The Blues are currently working on their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding their two-window transfer ban having seen their appeal to both delay and overturn the suspension rejected by FIFA.

Nizaar Kinsella

Nizaar Kinsella Photo

Nizaar Kinsella is a Chelsea correspondent with experience covering international football at the World Cup and European Championships. He is a trusted voice within the Chelsea community, attending almost every game and having spent many years doing so. Coverage on Goal.com has seen him invited onto CNN, BBC Radio 5 Live, TalkSport and BeINSports to comment on the turbulent world of the Stamford Bridge club. He previously worked for the Daily Mirror and BBC Radio Manchester, as well as a period working in the UK charity sector.