The Blues are destined to miss out on the Premier League's top four this season, thus will not qualify for the Champions League via the league.
As a result, there appears a lack of urgency as they look to get back on the right direction after sacking both Potter and Thomas Tuchel this term under new owner Todd Boehly.
TOP STORY – BLUES MULL OVER ENRIQUE, NAGELSMANN AND CONTE
Fabrizio Romano reports Frank Lampard will take over as Chelsea's interim manager, but that ex-Spain boss Luis Enrique is 100 per cent interested in the permanent position.
Enrique has flown into London for talks on the role, while the Blues will also continue talks with ex-Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann who is the leading candidate.
The Independent claims the Blues are also considering a shock return for Antonio Conte after initial contact between intermediaries.
ROUND-UP
– Football Insider reports Manchester United are keen on Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse. United may take advantage of the Saints' possible relegation to bolster their midfield with the 28-year-old free-kick specialist. Aston Villa and Newcastle United are also interested in him.
– Liverpool are willing to cough up €40 million (£35m) for Atletico Madrid's Argentinian World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul to bolster their midfield next term, reports Fichajes. Inter Live claims Tottenham are also interested in De Paul.
– Arsenal are pondering an off-season move for Lazio midfielder Sergei Milinkovic-Savic who will be a free agent in 2024, claims Gazzetta dello Sport. The reported fee would be around €40m.
– Luka Modric is disgruntled with his contract situation at Real Madrid, with his future not yet resolved with only a few months left on his deal, claims Goal.
– Fichajes claims West Ham, Leeds United and Nice are all circling for Real Madrid's Mariano who will be available on a free transfer at the end of this season.
– Leicester City have shortlisted Ralph Hasenhuttl, Jesse Marsch and Oscar Garcia for their vacant managerial role according to Fabrizio Romano. The Independent's Miguel Delaney claims the Foxes are also interested in experienced pair Martin O'Neill and Rafa Benitez.
The United club captain is contracted until 2025 and his deal includes £200,000 per week wages.
Maguire has only started one of United's last eight Premier League games and did not play in Thursday's Europa League win over Real Betis.
TOP STORY – PSG SET FOR SHOCK MAGUIRE MOVE
Paris Saint-Germain are set for a shock £50million (€56m) move for Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, according to The Sun.
It has been claimed that Maguire is among a list of players that United are willing to sell in the off-season with Newcastle United and West Hamreportedly interested.
According to The Sun's report, PSG tabled a deal for Maguire in January, but time ran out to finalise it and the French champions will move again for him.
ROUND-UP
– The Independent reports Real Madrid are plotting an overhaul to bring in a new generation of young stars, with Manchester City's Erling Haaland top of the list along with Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.
– The Guardian reports Manchester United will enter the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, with interest also from Liverpool and Newcastle United. Mount and Chelsea are currently in the middle of a contract dispute, potentially making him available, with United viewing him as a cheaper alternative to Bellingham.
– Barcelona are in the market to sign Manchester City's Portuguese full-back Joao Canceloif Bayern Munich do not make permanent his loan spell, claims Sport.
– Newcastle are circling to sign Southampton free-kick specialist James Ward-Prowse, according to Football Insider. Newcastle are one of numerous Premier League clubs interested in him.
– Gazzetta dello Sport reports Inter have tabled a two-year contract offer to Edin Dzeko amid interest from West Ham.
– L'Equipe claims PSG are ramping up their bid to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva in the off-season.
The Partenopei seemed on course to secure their first league title in 33 years after Mathias Olivera headed Napoli into the lead in the second half against Salernitana at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Lazio's 3-1 defeat earlier in the day at Inter meant a win would have been enough for Napoli, yet just as celebrations were starting in and around the stadium, Boulaye Dia snatched a 1-1 draw for Salernitana with a stunning 84th-minute equaliser.
Napoli could still clinch the title as soon as Wednesday if Lazio fail to beat Sassuolo, but Spalletti acknowledged his side had let their supporters down with the late concession.
The Napoli coach told DAZN: "We are very sorry for not giving the happiness [of winning the title] to this wonderful crowd.
"We represent what their dream is. It is right that they receive this dream they have. We are the ones who materialise the dreams of our fans.
"We have to score this extra goal to give it to them. From my point of view, the enjoyment is only delayed because I am very comfortable with the current standings.
"We postpone it for now but it is a lengthening of the celebrations because I am convinced we will get the two points [to win the league]."
Their surely imminent Scudetto triumph would mark Napoli's first such success since the Diego Maradona era.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen have led the way for the Partenopei on their quest for glory, but Spalletti emphasised the importance of his squad this term.
"It's clear that if it [winning the title] were to happen, I'd have some satisfaction too," he added. "But the players deserve it more because I've seen the attention, willingness and quality they have come to train.
"I'm referencing those who have played less because they force those who have played the most to keep the bar high and it becomes difficult to become a soft or demotivated team."
Napoli sit 18 points clear and could wrap up the title when they face Udinese on Thursday, albeit the championship could be settled a day earlier if Lazio falter against Sassuolo.
The striker has 25 goals in 29 games for I Partenopei this season, but sustained a thigh injury while representing Nigeria during last month's international break, causing him to miss last Sunday's 4-0 loss to Milan.
Napoli recovered from that humbling and took themselves closer to a first Scudetto in 30 years with a 2-1 win at Lecce on Friday, when Osimhen was again absent.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo's header was cancelled out by Federico Di Francesco, before a second-half own goal from Antonino Gallo handed Napoli three points.
"It wasn't easy to secure this result after last Sunday's defeat and some injuries," Spalletti said at a post-match press conference. "A delicate situation had arisen, due to how we lost [to Milan] and because the Rossoneri are our next opponents in the Champions League.
"Then everyone thinks these are filler games but that's not the case. It was essential to demonstrate that we were able to express ourselves again on good levels and that we had that kind of character.
"For this I congratulate the players. These three points give us peace of mind to face the next matches."
On Osimhen, Spalletti revealed: "We need to see how he reacts to strong physical activities, so far he's done some basic jogging.
"It's difficult without him, because he has this way of running into space, this physicality, he can draw everyone to him and create the space for his team-mates.
"[Giacomo] Raspadori had a good first half tonight, he linked up well with the midfielders. We could have done it even better, because we brought too many balls back to the two centre-backs when there wasn't a need. On the pitch, however, we were balanced."
Giovanni Simeone replaced Raspadori in the second half, but was forced off with a knee injury soon after, potentially giving Spalletti a selection issue for the Milan game should Osimhen not recover in time.
"We need to evaluate [Simeone] carefully," he said. "It appeared to be a muscular problem, then the knee, then above the knee. When he tried to come back on again, he felt the muscle harden and it was best not to risk it any further."
Napoli could wrap up the title as soon as next weekend after Giacomo Raspadori's 93rd-minute volley gave them a 1-0 victory in Turin on Sunday.
The gap to second-placed Lazio is 17 points with seven games remaining, meaning it will surely soon be party time for the Partenopei, who have not won the title since the days of Diego Maradona.
Spalletti said Napoli would have to "wait to uncork the bottles", but he only half-heartedly talked down their title celebrations having had his own long wait to this point. The coach is yet to win a league title in his home country.
"I haven't travelled in the window seat," he told DAZN. "I've always hitch-hiked. The fact that I am in a position to win this Scudetto repays all the sacrifices I've made.
"Sometimes I was made fun of because of my boots [on the touchline], but I suffered to have those. I remember well when I couldn't buy them. Since I suffered a few times before, this year I put them on.
"I took a more difficult road than others who start from different levels, and it's probably right for them, too, because in their careers as players they gained such esteem as to start from a higher level."
While Raspadori has not quite had the same difficult path as Spalletti, his first season in Naples has also not been straightforward, limited to only nine Serie A starts due to injury.
Sunday's goal was his second of the season, but it was a big one.
"I am happy because they have shown me that they love me, as they do every day," the forward said.
"There is never a moment to stand still, it was a difficult moment and I worked to get out of it together with the coaching staff. Now, I'm happy for the goal."
The former Chelsea forward has scored twice in his first two Serie A appearances and could be deployed in the position in the capital.
Milan will be without fellow summer-signing Noah Okafor who is recovering from injury though Samuel Chukwueze and Yunus Musah who also arrived during the summer will be available “from the first minute.”
Pioli’s side lead the early Serie A table after beating Bologna and Torino in their opening games, and will open up a three-point lead on champions Napoli with victory against Roma, for at least 24 hours.
Of Pulisic’s ability to play as the most advanced forward he said: “Everything is possible in football, when there are two essential factors: the quality of the players and their desire to make themselves available.
“Right now I think it’s important to give the team certainties. We’ve changed a lot, between exits and signings we’ve changed almost the whole squad.”
Roma have made a slow start, picking up just one point from their opening two games, from a 2-2 draw against Salernitana.
However, the complexion of their season was altered on Thursday with the confirmation of the season-long loan signing of Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.
Pioli admitted Lukaku represents “a significant signing on paper” but added that any catalyst it might provide for the atmosphere amongst home supporters at the Stadio Olimpico would only serve to “stimulate rather than intimidate” his side.
Lukaku is not expected to start when the sides meet on Friday having not played competitively for Chelsea this season.
“Every match must be a turning point,” said the manager. “We are Milan and we want to play to win. Roma are strong, they only have one point but they had good numbers in the first two matches. We want to give continuity to the first two victories.
“We always want to play a certain type of football, it’s the opponents who change. We want to play our football, trying to minimise mistakes. We’ll have to be careful and precise, we’ll have to play the game and not suffer it.
“We worked a lot together to prepare ourselves in the best possible way. I always insisted on a certain idea of the game and gave continuity to certain field choices.
“Let’s talk about important players, they are strong and intelligent. The whole system is working, even if there are still many things to improve.”
Roma are likely to be without captain Lorenzo Pellegrini and striker Paulo Dybala for the game in the Italian capital, with both players suffering from injury.
Milan visit 19th-placed Empoli on Sunday ahead of two home games, the midweek Coppa Italia quarter-final against Atlanta and next weekend’s league showdown with Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
“It is definitely a big week with two league games and the Coppa Italia quarter-finals,” Milan manager Pioli said at his pre-match press conference.
“We are focused on the clash with Empoli. We want to do well in the league, we can win points but we have to perform well on the pitch.
“If we manage to pick up winning performances for a longer period, we will have overcome the momentary difficulties.
“Choices have been made given the aim of starting a balanced XI.
“The Coppa Italia (Tuesday’s 4-1 home win over Cagliari) gave some very young players a chance, they debuted because they have the quality to play with us, not out of necessity.
“We are fully focused on Empoli, after which we will have two days to work out what choices to make against Atalanta.”
Milan are unbeaten in five games in all competitions – four wins and a draw – since losing at Atalanta on December 9.
But the Rossoneri are 12 points adrift of league leaders Inter, albeit they do have a game in hand on their city rivals.
Milan need to address poor form on the road which has seen them fail to claim a Serie A win away from San Siro for three months.
Pioli said: “We made some errors that have stopped us from winning games when we could have done. We are working on resolving them.
“This is one of the elements that has punished us thus far, we clearly need to do better in the second half of the season.
“Winning (at Empoli) is the only thing that matters. Bringing home three important points means that you have put things back together.”
Nigeria striker Samuel Chukwueze has left for the Africa Cup of Nations, while fellow forward Noah Okafor remains out with a thigh injury sustained against Monza last month.
Pioli said: “I am lucky to have two centre-forwards like Olivier (Giroud) and Luka (Jovic), formation choices are never definitive because games can also be decided by coming on from the bench.
“My hope is that both of them will keep playing like this, remaining two key elements of the offensive line.
“Okafor will be available from the game against Roma and he will complete our roster, we have various personalities and resources up front.
“The directors are working in the market and they will be ready should any opportunities present themselves.”
The Inter goalkeeper made his international debut in 2012 and has since racked up 94 caps and kept 33 clean sheets.
Sommer was ever-present during Switzerland’s impressive run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals in Germany, where they lost to eventual finalists England on penalties.
Euro 2024 marked his fifth major tournament with the Swiss national team having also received call-ups for Euro 2016 and 2020 and the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
The 35-year-old will now focus solely on domestic football as he continues his career in Serie A.
"After careful consideration, I have decided to end my career as a goalkeeper for the Swiss national team," Sommer posted on Instagram.
"With the conclusion of another great final round at the European Championship in our neighbouring country Germany, where I previously spent unforgettable years in the Bundesliga, the time has now come to say goodbye."
The Rossoneri were held to a stalemate by the visitors to San Siro on Friday, missing the chance to consolidate their top-four spot after Inter had also drawn at Salernitana.
Having stunned the runaway title favourites Napoli 4-0 on their own patch last Sunday, Milan could not find the net this time despite having 23 shots, though only four were on target.
Pioli felt his side did all they could, but also suggested their performance reflected an anticipated comedown of sorts.
"It's not the result we wanted," he told Sky Sport Italia. "We had to do better in the first half. We played with great intensity.
"We conceded little to them, and in the second half, we did everything [we had to]. The ball just didn't want to go in.
"Goals are expected from the forwards if we create the chances. We needed to fill the area better. We lacked something to win.
"It's been a long time since we played with this level of energy and intensity, and I'm sorry. We wanted to win again after Napoli.
"But in my opinion, we're returning to the level [where we should be]. We need to improve our game, and we are doing that."
Milan face Napoli again next week, this time with the pair meeting for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at San Siro.
Midfielder Dendoncker has joined the Partenopei on loan from Aston Villa for the rest of the season to bolster Walter Mazzarri’s options.
The defending Serie A champions continue to struggle for consistency, sitting down in ninth place, and were beaten by Inter in the Italian Supercoppa final in Riyadh, where Giovanni Simeone was sent off.
Nigeria international Osimhen is away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite signing a contract extension which runs until June 2026 and is said to have a release clause of around £112million, last season’s Serie A top scorer continues to be linked with a move away.
Osimhen has already said he already has a plan on his “next step to do at the end of the season”.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed 25-year-old Osimhen was set to leave.
“We have known it since last summer – otherwise, the negotiation to extend would not have been so long,” De Laurentiis told Italian media.
“We already knew he would join Real Madrid, PSG or a Premier League club.”
Poland midfielder Piotr Zielinski is another player expected to leave Napoli in the summer, with Inter a reported likely destination.
Lazio were also involved in the Italian Super Cup, which was held in Saudi Arabia, and were beaten 3-0 by Inter in the semi-final.
Maurizio Sarri’s side return to Serie A action looking to keep up the pressure in the push for the European places.
Lazio will be without forward Mattia Zaccagni and captain Ciro Immobile through suspensions
Centre-back Patric has been carrying a shoulder problem, so Mario Gila could again come into the defence.
As well as missing Simeone, Napoli have Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Jens Cajuste serving suspensions.
Belgian forward Cyril Ngonge could feature following his recent move from Verona.
A generally dull contest was settled in the third minute of stoppage time, when Giacamo Raspadori's thumping volley edged the runaway Serie A leaders ever closer to clinching the Scudetto.
The Juve defence were caught napping as Luciano Spalletti's side snatched all three points, and Allegri admitted he expects higher standards from his players.
"It's disappointing to lose a game like that, but we should've done better on the goal," he told DAZN. "We just stopped playing and absolutely need to do better in that sense.
"It’s simple, just look at the move, we are at the 93rd minute and ought to have bodies into the box to defend.
"This is part of the growth process for players, something we take for granted. We were too slow and static in reacting to the ball in that situation."
Juventus saw two goals disallowed in the final 20 minutes, with Angel Di Maria and Dusan Vlahovic both denied, but Allegri refused to blame referee Michael Fabbri for the result.
"We need to stay calm, accept as we always have done the refereeing decisions – good or bad," the head coach added. "Otherwise, we waste energy, because we cannot change the result now.
"The referee was very good today, I congratulate him on his performance."
It was the Bianconeri's first league outing since the reversal of their 15-point deduction, lifting them to third in the table with 59 points - three ahead of Roma and Milan in fourth and fifth respectively.
Nevertheless, Juve still trail Napoli by 19 points and, while praising his players' attitudes in adversity, Allegri hopes they can close the gap and launch a greater title challenge next season.
"This is a surreal situation we were in, and the lads were marvellous," he said.
"We had some difficulties this season, especially after the 15-point penalty. We've still got a lead over Milan and Inter, so now we must pick up the points we are missing.
"This is a season that will help us grow a great deal and next year, we'll be right back up there fighting for the Scudetto."
