Chelsea set to announce Maurizio Sarri with contract signed at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea confirmed Antonio Conte’s departure earlier today in a telling 61-word statement, ending his two-year stay in west London.

And the Blues have got their man to replace Conte, with Sarri coming in as his replacement, according to Sky Sports.

The former Napoli boss will be joined by Chelsea hero Gianfranco Zola as his assistant.

Conte’s relationship with the Chelsea hierarchy had soured in the final year at the helm of the club regarding transfers.

But it will be another fresh start for Chelsea with Sarri becoming the club’s seventh permanent manager since 2011.

The 59-year-old helped establish Napoli as a major threat in European competitions with the club finishing just four points behind Juventus last season.

Sarri’s arrival could also pave the way for Jorginho to complete his move to Chelsea soon.

The Brazilian was spotted in an airport earlier this week on his way to London ahead of his £57.5million move.

However, one of Sarri’s first challenges may be to try and keep Eden Hazard out of the clutches of Real Madrid.

The Belgium international remains in Russia ahead of tomorrow’s third place play-off against Belgium, but he has dropped further hints suggesting playing for Real remains a “dream” of his.

For Conte, he had two very contrasting seasons in charge at Chelsea having won the Premier League in his debut campaign in England.

But there were murmurs of unrest when he sent a text message to Diego Costa informing the striker he was no longer needed at the club last summer.

Nemanja Matic’s transfer also didn’t sit well with Conte and the former Juventus boss often looked a dejected figure on the touchline.

He left the club after leading them to their eighth FA Cup triumph, beating Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley, but failed to finish inside the top four.