Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has reportedly been offered the chance to return to Serie A next season to take charge of AS Roma, with his future at Stamford Bridge looking increasingly uncertain.
The Italian boss made a bright start to his time with the Blues, losing just one of his first 19 games, but a recent slump in form has raised questions about whether his style of play is suited to the Premier League.
A defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at the weekend may force Chelsea's board of directors into bringing Sarri's eight-month spell at the club to an end.
According to reports in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, as quoted by Calciomercato, the 60-year-old met with former Tottenham Hotspur technical director Franco Baldini in London to discuss taking over at AS Roma next season.
Any permanent decision by I Giallorossi will depend on whether the Serie A club's director of football Monchi moves to Arsenal or Manchester United in the summer. If he does, current manager Eusebio Di Francesco will most likely announce his departure after two years in charge.
Sarri's first major success in Italian football came during his time in charge of Empoli as he led the side to promotion from Serie B in 2014 before ensuring survival a year later.
Impressed by his managerial abilities, Napoli hired Sarri as a replacement for Rafael Benitez and finished in the top three in Italy's top-flight on three occasions - narrowly missing out on their first league title in 28 years last season to Juventus.
Chelsea's decision to replace Antonio Conte with his fellow compatriot has yet to pay off, meaning that Roman Abramovich could be hiring his 14th manager since buying the club in 2003.
Source : 90min