Sacked Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri rejected an offer from PSG to leave himself clear to join Chelsea, says a close friend.

Sarri has been chased by PSG and Zenit St. Petersburg since his Serie A exit was announced last month.

But Marco Brachi, one of the manager's closest friends, has revealed why the 59-year-old snubbed all offers in favour of Chelsea.

“He was wanted in Russia, but for an aesthete like him, it's unlikely he'd have adapted to that type of football. It's true, he is 59 years old, but money isn't everything in life," he told AreaNapoli.it.

“Maurizio has always been fascinated by the Chelsea option, as he'd really love to work in England. Let's be clear, it is the ideal team for his type of football.

"They've got players like Willian and Eden Hazard who run hard."

Sarri couldn't envisage managing at PSG due to their current squad.

“The last time I saw him, he said that Paris Saint-Germain were after him, but the club is not suited to him," Brachi continued.

"He said: 'How can I train a team that has Adrien Rabiot, Marco Verratti and Thiago Motta in midfield?' They are players who don't run, aren't helpful to his idea of football, which is very draining.

“We're talking about great players, but they don't attack the space and don't run off the ball, unlike Napoli with Allan, Piotr Zielinski, Marek Hamsik, Jorginho and the rest.

“Sarri is not a Coach suited to everyone. Not every club will let you smoke during training, in the locker room or even on the plane.

"He is the last bastion of a romantic style of football that has fallen to money and multinational corporations.

“I am certain, Sarri won't change for anyone."