MAURIZIO SARRI is reportedly close to a stunning managerial return with Lazio.
The former Chelsea boss spent nearly three years at the Rome club before resigning in March 2024.
Sarri, who won the 2019 Europa League during his sole season with the Blues, was left unhappy with Lazio’s transfer business.
He saw key men like Joaquin Correa, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Francesco Acerbi depart while being replaced with “Plan C and Plan D” targets.
And a fourth straight league defeat proved to be Sarri’s breaking point last year.
However, numerous reports in Italy claim the former Napoli and Juventus boss, who won the 2020 Serie A title with the latter, is now set to rejoin Lazio.
They are without a manager after seeing Marco Baroni resign just one year into a five-year deal following Lazio’s failure to qualify for Europe.
It’s believed club chiefs immediately reached out to Sarri to see if he was interested in a return.
And after being promised that Lazio will hand him a transfer window war chest, the chain-smoking tactician has accepted their proposal.
Sarri is now expected to pen a two-year deal worth £5million, with an automatic year-long extension worth a further £2.5m should Lazio qualify for the Champions League.
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The Italians are now targeting several stars including Fenerbahce playmaker Sebastian Szymanski, Arsenal loanee Nuno Tavares and even former midfielder Milinkovic-Savic, now at Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.
Sarri is also thought to have been promised that key men including centre-backs Alessio Romagnoli and Mario Gila will be kept on despite interest from numerous clubs.
Criticising Lazio’s transfer policy shortly before his departure last year, Sarri said: “Everyone else signs who they want.
“It seems to me that before, the club were clear about who was doing the transfers.
“If I ask you for a player who is Plan A, and you make me choose between C and D… It’s not like I did the market.”
