Maurizio Sarri aimed respectful words to his predecessor, Antonio Conte, in his first press conference as the Blues' boss.

Maurizio Sarri's first press conference as Chelsea's new boss gave fans reasons to be happy...and reasons to be mad.

The Italian manager discussed a variety of topics in his first official appearance since being appointed as Antonio Conte's replacement, and he didn't dribble past any of the questions made by those in attendance, including inquiries about the future of two of the team's brightest stars.

After admitting that he's not a fan of the yearly transfer window, Sarri gave fans reasons to worry, since he didn't rule out the possibility of Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois leaving the club this summer.

"Clearly we would always like to keep all strongest players this is what any manager wants to do and any club wants to do but we will have to see how transfer market goes over next few days. They are high level players I would like to keep them in my squad. Hazard is one of the top two or three European players," Sarri stated.

Being as influential as they are for Chelsea and the Belgian National Team, Sarri would like to meet both players and have them train with him before they make a decision about their future.

"A telephone call without looking them in the eyes would not give them any certainty. I want to meet them face to face, talk to them and understand what the best thing will be to do for everyone. I would like a player to come with me onto the pitch for four or five days to see what the situation is," the Italian boss added.

With the English transfer window closing on August 9, Courtois and Hazard might not give Sarri the chance to work with them. Both footballers will return to the team's training complex on August 6, and that could be Sarri's ace in the hole to keep both players around.

Both players have been clear about their intentions to leave the club. Eden Hazard is willing to face "new challenges" as he said after the FIFA World Cup's 3rd-place match on Saturday, while Thibaut Courtois has been quite vocal about his desire to spend more time with his children, who live in Madrid. Will Sarri convince them to stay?