West Ham United are reportedly interested in Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri.
Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri
According to the Daily Express, West Ham United are interested in landing Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri if they do move on from current boss Slaven Bilic.
Despite calls to sack Bilic this past summer, West Ham instead chose to back him, handing him signings with Premier League experience, as Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez all arrived at the London Stadium.
However, defeats to Manchester United, Southampton and Newcastle United mean that Bilic has started the season with three straight losses, and the pressure has mounted on the Croatian ahead of Monday’s visit of Huddersfield Town.
Some managers are already being linked with moves to East London, and the Daily Express now report that West Ham are keen to make Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri their new manager, if they do move on from Bilic.
Sarri, 58, endured a nomadic career as a manager in Italy with the likes of Pescara, Arezzo, Avellino, Verona, Perugia, Grosseto, Alessandria and Sorrento, before his work with Empoli earned him a move to Napoli in 2015.
With a 66% win rate since taking charge of Napoli, Sarri has impressed many, especially with his 4-3-3 formation, and he has guided the Serie A side back into the Champions League again this season.
West Ham are now believed to be interested in handing Sarri the reins at the London Stadium, though he would allegedly cost around £7.5million to buy out of his Napoli contract, which still has two years left to run.
Given that West Ham may have to sack Bilic and pay up his contract, landing Sarri could make this a very expensive exercise for the Hammers – and Bilic will be desperate for a win on Monday to give himself a fighting chance of keeping his job.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
