New Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri said that he is “bored by the transfer market” when questioned on the futures of a number of the club’s key players.
Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have both been strongly linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge, and it is understood that Real Madrid are prepared to pay £150m to sign the pair this summer.
Sarri – speaking at his first official press conference – insisted that Chelsea “would like to keep the strongest players”, but refused to offer any guarantees over the futures of Hazard and Courtois.
“Clearly we would like to keep the strongest players. This is what any manager and club wants to do. But we will have to see how the transfer market will go over the next few days,” Sarri told reporters.
“I am much more of a pitch manager than a general manager. I am one of the few managers who is bored by the transfer market. I don’t want to talk about the transfer market and I’m not that interested in it. Our task as managers is growing the players that we have.”
Hazard is believed to have already agreed personal terms with Real Madrid ahead of a move to the Bernabeu in this summer’s transfer window.
Brazil attacker Willian, meanwhile, has also been strongly linked with an exit ahead of the 2018-19 campaign