According to a journalist from Italy, Arsenal are monitoring former Chelsea boss, Maurizio Sarri, but the manager would prefer a move to Napoli.

Despite how poorly Arsenal have performed this season, there has been little talk of the club looking for an alternative to Mikel Arteta.

Even though many fans have speculated that he could be in a bit of bother should he go out of the Europa League this week after the second leg against Slavia Prague, if we’re honest, there seems to be no indication the club will look to hire their third post-Wenger manager this summer.

The report stems from Rai journalist, Ciro Vernerato, via Area Napoli and Sport Witness, who said, “I received a phone call from Figline Valdarno (where Sarri lives) from friends of the former Juventus manager, and I discovered interesting things.

“Maurizio Sarri has not signed with any team. A month ago he said no to Marseille. Arsenal and Tottenham are following him, as well as Roma”.

In 2018, before Arsene Wenger revealed he was stepping down at the end of the season, Italian agent Federico Pastorello claimed that the then-Napoli manager could join Arsenal.

Sarri allegedly had a release clause in his Napoli contract which would have made signing him a bit easier for any clubs that were interested.

“Sarri? Arsenal are mainly being talked about for him,” Pastorello told Tuttosport (via Football Italia).

“There’s been less talk about Allegri, but it’s hard to find a better Coach than him for Juve.

“Still, from experience, I’ve learned that in the market, the most concrete negotiations take place in silence…”

Sarri did indeed leave Napoli the same summer Arsenal appointed Unai Emery, but he joined Chelsea two weeks after Arsenal announced Emery’s arrival.

The Italian got even fewer games at Chelsea than Emery did at Arsenal, moving on after one season, 63 games and winning the Europa League by beating Emery and Arsenal in the final in Baku.

Sarri spent even less time in Turin with Juventus, lasting another single season and 51 games. He also won the league, his second ever trophy.

He has been without a club since August and, besides his three-year spell with Napoli from 2015-2018, Sarri has never spent more than one season with a club he has managed. That would seem to be the complete opposite of the profile Arsenal would be looking for if they were considering indeed replacing Arteta.