Napoli boss lined up as Arsene Wenger's successor?

Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri has been earmarked by Arsenal as a potential successor to Arsene Wenger, the representative of Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has claimed.

Earlier this month, Blues owner Roman Abramovich was said to be contemplating over triggering Sarri's £7m buyout clause with Conte seemingly close to getting the sack.

However, the 59-year-old played down the talk by suggesting that he could extend his stay in Naples with his agent due to meet with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis on Friday.

Despite this, the speculation over Sarri's future does not appear to cease with Italian agent Federico Pastorello citing that the experienced head coach is in secret discussions with Blues' cross-town rivals Arsenal.

"Sarri? Arsenal are mainly being talked about for him," he told Tuttosport. "There's been less talk about [Massimiliano] 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."

Wenger still has 18 months left on his existing deal at Arsenal, but he may re-assess his future in the summer after another disappointing season in the Premier League. The Frenchman has no break clause in his present deal.