Danny Drinkwater revealed that Maurizio Sarri told him that he wasn’t in the Chelsea squad with only an hour left in the summer transfer window in 2018.
The 32-year-old Englishman joined the Blues in a deal worth around £35m from Leicester City in the summer of 2017 and struggled to live up to his price tag in West London, failing to make a significant impression. He left the Blues on a free transfer earlier this month, after his contract expired.
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Speaking to Sky Sports UK, Drinkwater recalled a tough moment he had with Sarri during the summer 2018 transfer window.
“It got to the last hour of the transfer window and I got pulled into the office, not expected at all.
“’Don’t think you’re going to be in our plans’. This is Sarri, being translated by Gianfranco Zola. And I was like, ‘What?’ Sarri and I got on like a house on fire off the pitch. On the pitch, we were like chalk and cheese.”
“I was like, ‘Why are you telling me now? An hour before the window closes? I need time’. He replied, ‘No, no, we’ve got clubs abroad you can look at.’
“My reaction was, ‘No, I’ve got my young son. He is my priority’. So I decided to stay until January.”
Drinkwater only made one appearance that season under Sarri, playing 30 minutes of action in the Community Shield loss to Manchester City. In total, he made 23 appearances for the Blues, scoring one goal.
Sarri ultimately left Chelsea after one season, deciding to return to Italy to take over Juventus. He struggled to show his exciting brand of football in the Premier League, although he did guide Chelsea to a Europa League win.