Maurizio Sarri set to renew contract based on guarantees
The Napoli boss is set to extend his stay with the club after being linked with Chelsea.
Sarri appears to have used this speculation to make certain assurances part of his new contract. According to Corriere dello Sport, Sarri wants guarantees that his side will be strengthened. Simone Verdi and Federico Chiesa are the main targets; Amin Younes will also join the club in the summer, according to reports, after his January move broke down at the last hurdle due to personal reasons.
This was a smart move from the Partenopei boss because he has built a wonderful attacking side with high ambitions. However, there is a limit to what he can do with the resources he has. Napoli are currently top of Serie A, by a point, thanks to his ideas with a serious chance of winning their first league title in 28 years. To seriously challenge Juventus in the long-term they need more depth to their squad, though.
Sarri clearly works in the long-term which has allowed him to assemble a group of players that fits his ideas. This vision has allowed the team to gradually progress as they develop an understanding between each other as well as Sarri improving them through his coaching.
Dries Mertens is a great example of this because Sarri shifted him into the centre-forward role where he now thrives. His goalscoring record has altered the perception of him completely because he started as a winger.
The Partenopei are in the midst of an exciting project. Sarri has built an exciting side and has acquired young talents who are in place to eventually replace key players throughout the team. This team has the potential to win plenty of silverware in the near future and Sarri is the right man to lead them. Winning Serie A would be a big first step especially because of Juventus’ recent hegemony over it.
Next: Napoli set to sign Napoli winger
Potential future jobs
The long-term nature of his exciting project suggests that he wouldn’t be a good fit for the Premier League because of the short-term nature of the league. Chelsea were the main club linked with him and they are the worst examples of this trend. He was also linked with the Italian national team job, which is likely to happen in the future. They are in desperate need for some new ideas and Sarri could provide this; he will also need another challenge once his Napoli project ends. For the meantime, he appears to be happy building up his beloved Napoli side.