Maurizio Sarri 'to hold talks over becoming the new Lazio manager TODAY'

 

Maurizio Sarri will reportedly hold talks with Lazio over becoming their new manager today, with the former Chelsea and Juventus boss closing in on a return to Italy.

A meeting between Sarri, 62, and club president Claudio Lotito is expected to see the final details for the appointment ironed out - and it is believed that the veteran coach is leaning towards taking the job.

Calciomercato claim there is optimism at Lazio over the deal, and the club will look to convince Sarri about the project by insisting they plan to keep their best players and invest in the summer market.

Sarri is now available to take up his next job after his contract at Juventus finally ran down on Monday. As a result of his sacking, he was still tied down there and Juventus had splashed out a £5million compensation fee to cover his wages.

Despite not working for the Old Lady for almost a year now, Sarri will also bank another £2m because Juventus chose not to extend his deal for next season.

And the lack of a Turin renewal means that Sarri is free to explore his options, with Lazio increasingly likely to be his next challenge.

The details of his terms with the club have also been revealed by Calciomercato, who say Sarri will be handed a contract for two or three years, with a €3m (£2.5m) engagement plus bonuses.

Lazio are keen to remain competitive in Serie A and a move for right back Elseid Hysaj, who is set to leave Napoli when his deal expires, has been touted as one of Sarri's first signings at the helm.

It has even been suggested that Lazio's second-choice option for their hotseat was Nuno Espirito Santo. The former Wolves boss is also out of work, but is likely to take up another Premier League job shortly.

Sarri was axed by Juventus last August just 14 months into his reign. He paid the price for their Champions League last-16 knockout at the hands of Lyon.

He will take over at Lazio, though, after Simone Inzaghi left the club, seemingly to become Inter Milan's new boss.

Lazio confirmed the news of Inzaghi's departure last Thursday in a curt, 32-word statement that didn't mention him by name.

Inzaghi's contract was set to run down on June 30, and initially it appeared as though an agreement would be reached to tie him down until 2024.

But a U-turn left them shocked, and the fact the club insisted they respected his 'rethinking' points towards Inzaghi returning to management at the San Siro.

Antonio Conte quit his job at Inter just days after winning the top-flight title in Italy.

As revealed by Sportsmail yesterday, he is now in talks with Tottenham over becoming Jose Mourinho's permanent successor.

Former Juventus chief Fabio Paratici could also join him through the door as the north London club look for a drastic shake-up in their quest for success next season.