Sampaoli: I was flattered by Chelsea interest

Sevilla manager Jorge Sampaoli has admitted he felt overjoyed to be considered by Chelsea as a possible replacement for Jose Mourinho last summer.

The Argentinean manager revealed he was grateful for Roman Abramovich’s respectful treatment towards him, but said there were other reasons for the deal not going through as the Blues opted for Italian Antonio Conte in the end.

“It filled me with joy that Chelsea thought I could be the man to lead them this season.” Sampaoli told The Sun. “It was a huge compliment and I felt proud that someone as important as Mr. Abramovich wanted to know my idea about football and what I felt and thought about his own team.

“There were different reasons why it did not happen but just the fact that he listened to me for so many hours meant a lot to me.

“In the end the opted for another successful coach. But I was grateful for their good intentions and the attention they had paid to my teams and my philosophy of the game and that they considered me.”

The Argentinean coach remains heavily linked with a potential Premier League move and has been talked about as a possible replacement for embattled Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.

Sampaoli led Chile a Copa America triumph in 2015, and it is believed his good relationship with Alexis Sanchez may prove to be the deciding factor to convince the Chilean to stay with the Gunners.