Chelsea have announced Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri as Antonio Conte’s replacement on a three-year deal until 2021.
The Premier League giants have been locked in talks with Napoli since the end of last season and looked to be struggling to get a deal over the line.
Chelsea did not match Sarri’s £8m release clause before it expired earlier in the summer and refused to be held to ransom by their Serie A counterparts.
However, the Blues finally made a breakthrough in talks after agreeing to pay more for star man Jorginho than their Premier League rivals Manchester City.
Jorginho is regarded as one of the best central midfielders in Europe and was a top transfer target for City this summer.
Chelsea have reportedly agreed to pay £50m to sign Sarri and Jorginho in a sensational double deal that has sent City back to the drawing board in their search for a new midfielder.
The Blues sacked Antonio Conte on Friday and will hope the appointment of Sarri will kickstart what has been a dismal summer for the 2016/17 Premier League champions.
“I am very happy to be coming to Chelsea and the Premier League. It is an exciting new period in my career," Sarri told the club's official website.
“I look forward to starting work and meeting the players on Monday ahead of travelling to Australia, where I will be able to get to know the squad and begin our match action.
“I hope we can provide some entertaining football to our fans, and that we will be competing for trophies at the end of the season, which is what the club deserves."
Sarri spent the last three years at Napoli and has developed into one of the most best coaches in Europe, implementing some of the best football on the continent at San Paolo. In that time the 59-year-old won an impressive 66.2% of his matches in charge.
