Maurizio Sarri’s €8m release clause expires today.
This article on CalcioMercato takes the point of view that from tomorrow, Chelsea will be able to negotiate a lower fee.
That’s true, but it also means that Napoli can charge whatever they want. They know they have one of the most in demand managers around, and given they’ve already replaced him, they have no real incentive to let Sarri go on the cheap.
So the expiration of this particular fee doesn’t necessarily benefit Chelsea. It just removes the cap from the price they might have to pay to get Sarri.
The fact that they haven’t already stumped up the dough does probably indicate they think they can shave a bit off that amount, but it might also mean talks have reached an impasse.
It’s a gamble for Chelsea – can they get their man for less than his €8m clause, or should they just bite the bullet and pay up today?
