COMMENT: Could Chelsea go Italian next season? Should Michael Emenalo be nervous?
It broke last week in Italy that Walter Sabatini, AS Roma's famed transfer expert, was seeking a new challenge and had been in talks with Chelsea about relocating to London. In addition, Sabatini was already sounding out coaching candidates about joining him at Stamford Bridge - with Antonio Conte, the Azzurri manager, his prime target.
Now, in the last 24 hours, it's emerged with Rudi Garcia about to be sacked by Roma's board - in Miami - Sabatini could also fall on his sword. Giallorossi directors would be reluctant to lose their sports director, but Sabatini feels it would be the right thing to do having tied his future so closely to his coaching appointment. Of course, having a job offer to fall back on would make the decision all the more easier...
After this season's disastrous campaign, Chelsea are reviewing their management structure, amid the belief that the breakdown of Emenalo's relationship with Jose Mourinho was a major contributor. By the end of Mourinho's time at the club, the pair weren't on speaking terms. Emenalo, the club's technical director, confirmed as much when he failed to even name Mourinho in his 'post-sacking' interview with Chelsea TV the day after the manager's dismissal.
Abdul Baba Rahman, the young left-back from Augsburg, wasn't a Mourinho request. Nor, infamously, was Papy Djilobodji. It's slipped under the radar given all the noise around the Special One's sacking, but last summer's transfer window was driven by Emenalo. But for now, at least publicly, he's avoided scrutiny over his role in this season's struggles.
In Italy, it's claimed Roman Abramovich recognises the need to find a pairing of football director and manager that can work well together. And for Sabatini, the Chelsea link is obvious.
Sources close to the club won't discuss the prospect of him moving to Cobham, but Sabatini has made a positive impression on the Chelsea hierarchy. Having taken both Mohamed Salah and Wallace to the Italian capital over the last 12 months, Chelsea's powerbrokers have learned more about Sabatini - and vice-versa.
Indeed, Sabatini has become a familiar face inside Premier League boardrooms. Working to a limited budget, he's managed to convince Edin Dzeko, the former Manchester City striker, to choose Roma over bigger offers, plus taken Wojciech Szczesny on-loan from Arsenal. All the while, he was also convincing AC Milan last summer to part with €45 million for Andrea Bertolacci and Alessio Romagnoli. Which left many pundits in Italy baffled, but was duly noted by those who count at Chelsea.
Sabatini is a genuine football man. A transfer market expert, who knows all about the best prospects in the game, whether they're in Milan, Manchester or Montevideo. After four years at Roma, he may just be reaching his 'used by date' in the revolving door world of Italian football, but that doesn't diminish what he'd bring to Chelsea - which could include Conte.
Today, sources close to AC Milan say Silvio Berlusconi sees the Italy coach as the man to succeed Sinisa Mihajlovic. But those same sources concede there is concern inside the Milan boardroom that Conte will be lost to a Premier League club after the Azzurri's Euros campaign.
Speaking with one Italian agent last year, Tribalfootball.com was informed that Chelsea is always front of mind for local coaches. From Claudio Ranieri and Gianfranco Zola to Gianluca Vialli and Carlo Ancelotti, for Italy's elite coaching fraternity "Chelsea are like what Arsenal is to French football". And this is a belief shared by Conte.
Sabatini taking Conte with him to London would also offer Abramovich an advantage in his pursuit of Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. Forget Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. Or Lionel Messi and Neymar at Barcelona. The one player the Chelsea owner covets most. The one breakout star he is convinced he can bring to Stamford Bridge is Pogba.
Over the last two transfer windows, Abramovich has made a major play for Pogba. Last summer, the bidding reached €80 million. But both player and club refused to budge.
However, for the coming summer market, having Pogba's mentor installed as Chelsea manager would give Abramovich the upper hand in negotiations. Money won't be the issue. Chelsea can go blow-for-blow with any club in the world if it came to an auction. What'll swing the Pogba deal will be personalities. And the prospect of teaming up again with Conte will be difficult not only for the Frenchman to resist, but also his agent, Mino Raiola, who is a huge fan of the 46 year-old.
"I admire Conte a great deal, he can go anywhere, but whoever signs him must allow the Coach to express his character to the full," Raiola remarked just a week ago.
And at Chelsea, with Sabatini controlling transfers and Conte in the dugout, Raiola could play his part by placing Pogba at Stamford Bridge. If there's a player who would help Raiola's good friend 'express himself to the full', it's his French client, Pogba.
Fantasy Calcio? Maybe. But all these personalities are in play and post-Mourinho, Abramovich won't be tinkering around the edges this summer.
Am overhaul is on the table, with plans (possibly) already being drawn up from Italy.
