Five midfielders Maurizio Sarri could sign at Chelsea

It took much longer than anyone expected, but last week, Maurizio Sarri was finally announced as Chelsea manager, replacing Antonio Conte.

It was clear that Conte wasn’t happy at Chelsea, and it was no surprise to see him leave the club. He won the Premier League title in impressive style during his first season at the club, successfully switching up to a 3-4-3 system after a tough start.

However, cracks appeared in his relationship with the board, mainly over transfer business. The board were unhappy with Conte’s treatment of Diego Costa, who he told by text was no longer a part of his plans, while the Italian was disappointed by the board’s failure to bring in his top targets, and their decision to sell midfielder Nemanja Matic to rivals Manchester United.

Despite that, he was still able to lead Chelsea to victory in the FA Cup, beating United in the final, but missed out on qualification to the Champions League, which cost him his job.

Sarri joins after three impressive seasons with Serie A side Napoli, which included two second place finishes, and a third place as well. His side have played, fast, attacking football, which will excite the Stamford Bridge faithful if he can recreate that in England.

On Wednesday, he held his first press conference, during which alongside saying that he wanted to keep hold of Eden Hazard, and that Gary Cahill had a Chelsea future, he told reporters that he wanted to improve Chelsea’s midfield. Here are five men he could sign to do just that.

---

#1 Andre Gomes (Barcelona)

Gomes has struggled to hold down a spot in the Barcelona side

Gomes was among the hottest prospects in Europe a couple of years ago when he helped inspire Portugal to the Euro 2016 title, with Chelsea said to have been among the clubs interested then. In the end, he was given a straight choice between joining Real Madrd and Barcelona when he left Valencia, and he chose the Catalonian giants. He has struggled to settle at the Nou Camp though and looks likely to leave this summer. He appeared just 16 times in the league last season, just over half as many as in his debut season with Barca.

Barcelona have reportedly offered Gomes to Arsenal for £20 million this summer, which in this day and age, isn’t too much, and wouldn’t represent too much of a risk for Chelsea. He is the sort of midfielder that Sarri will be looking to bring in this summer. He is technically gifted, an excellent passer of the ball, and has the footballing intelligence that fit the style of play Sarri will be hoping to bring to London.

#2 Adrien Rabiot (PSG)

Rabiot has been linked with a move away from PSG

Rabiot is another man who has been linked with a move this summer, and he has the best years of his career ahead of him. He has shown in the past few years how good a prospect he is but hasn’t always been a first choice pick at PSG, especially as they continue to spend big in the transfer market. Although he hasn’t always been the first name on the teamsheet, he hasn’t been short of chances, but having missed out on a spot in France’s victorious World Cup squad, he may want to go somewhere he is a key man.

Much like Gomes, he is that sort of technical player that Sarri will be looking for, but he can do the dirty work in his own half as well. He has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the past, and in terms of club stature, if it was a choice between them and Chelsea, he will probably move to Spain. However, he may want to go somewhere he can play regular football, and that is more likely at Chelsea.

#3 Aleksandr Golovin (CSKA Moscow)

Golovin impressed with his performances at the World Cup

At the moment, this deal looks like the most likely, with reports suggesting that Chelsea are close to sealing a deal for the CSKA midfielder, though no one on either side has confirmed this. Golovin put in some impressive performances for Russia during the World Cup, and it is no surprise that a number of clubs were interested. Juventus were said to be keen on bringing him to Turin, but Golovin has his heart set on England and Chelsea.

At £27 million, the fee wouldn’t be too much of a test for Chelsea, so expect him to be at Stamford Bridge when the season gets underway. The big question for Golovin is whether he can adapt to the intensity of the Premier League. He has done well in Russia, and had a very good World Cup, but he wouldn’t be the first man to struggle to adapt to life in England.

#4 Abdoulaye Doucoure (Watford)

Doucoure was a key man for Watford last season

Doucoure is a slightly different player to the others on the list, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t as effective. He probably isn’t the glamorous name that Chelsea fans will be hoping for, but he might just be the sort of player that they need. He may not be quite as good on the ball as other options Chelsea have available to them, but he does the industrial side of the game as well as any.

He may not be a big name, but he probably won’t come cheap, as Watford won’t be keen on losing one of their prized assets, especially to a Premier League club. Doucoure is also a player who is capable of popping up with a goal or two, having scored seven in the league last season, including one against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He may not be at the forefront of Sarri’s mind just yet, but he is a man he should consider taking a look at.

#5 Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich)

Thiago is an exceptional passer of the ball

Thiago is probably the wildcard name on this list. He fits all the criteria for a player that Sarri would like to have in midfield. However, he is very similar to Jorginho, so Sarri may feel that it isn’t in his side’s best interest to have both of them. Technically, there are fewer players as gifted as Thiago around, but he has been someone who has suffered constantly with injuries throughout his career.

Since moving to Bayern in 2013, he has only made 96 league appearance due to injuries. Things have got slightly better for him in recent years though, and he has managed 73 league appearances in the last three seasons. It would be a very expensive deal if Thiago were to leave Bayern this summer, and this would be somewhat of a risk for Chelsea to spend big money on someone with that sort of injury record.