Chelsea Face £26m Antonio Conte Payoff as Luis Enrique Prefers to Wait for Summer Talks

Former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has claimed that he will only consider succeeding Antonio Conte at Chelsea during the summer, in an attempt to bring his backroom staff with him to west London, according to the Standard.

Juan Carlos Unzué, Robert Moreno, Rafel Pol and Joaquin Valdes all returned to their former side Celta Vigo after Enrique left the Camp Nou, with Unzué even being appointed as Celta's manager at the start of the season.

However, Enrique wants to see all four of his assistants join him at Stamford Bridge next season, something which could have huge ramifications for Chelsea's current backroom staff.

It is believed that the club's hierarchy are also weighing up a move for Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri. 

The 59-year-old has impressively guided the Partenopei to the top of the Serie A this season, with his ability to turn Dries Mertens into a world-class striker earning plaudits from across Europe.

Regardless of who they look to bring in as their next manager, the Blues are also faced with the task of stumping up a hefty sum to pay off their current boss.

Spanish media outlet Sport claim that Conte could pocket around £26.7m in compensation if Chelsea decide a managerial change is required in west London as the Italian only penned a new deal with the club during the summer.