Chelsea have agreed terms with Mauricio Pochettino and confirmation of his appointment is now a formality. The Argentine will start next season but collaborate with Frank Lampard and Chelsea’s senior leadership team between now and then.
What’s the latest on Chelsea appointing Mauricio Pochettino?
Chelsea, and Pochettino, didn’t want an official start date this season. The extra time wouldn’t necessarily be beneficial because Pochettino would have to show his hand, and manage a bloated squad, instead of having a proper pre-season and working with players after they have had a break following a sapping season. Plus, Chelsea have committed to Lampard as caretaker, who they think can play an important part in the transition.
Pochettino will be watching a number of Chelsea players closely, most likely from afar. He is not expected to attend the final three games.
Pochettino is an exciting appointment and the right fit for Chelsea. He has a track-record of getting the best out of players and building a tight-knit squad. Plus, he arrives with proven Premier League experience and learnings from a difficult spell at PSG. He won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, but there were challenges and politics behind the scenes.
Pochettino was considered in September prior to Graham Potter arriving from Brighton. Potter was still the first choice, which is why Chelsea moved quickly, and in any case Pochettino didn’t actually want the job back then. He was not entirely sold on the vision. This was because the recruitment team wasn’t in place, the summer window had shut and he had only recently left PSG. Now the timing is perfect.
I am told that Pochettino interviewed Chelsea as much as they did him. Co-sporting director Laurence Stewart, in particular, came highly recommended from multiple people Pochettino trusts.
Stewart worked with Paul Mitchell at Monaco, and although Pochettino really rates Mitchell having worked with him at Spurs, Chelsea are not considering an approach right now. They are very happy with their current recruitment and senior leadership team.
What are Mauricio Pochettino’s transfer plans at Chelsea?
As revealed last month, Pochettino has made it clear he wants to keep Mason Mount. Nothing is decided yet. Chelsea will make a new offer, but Liverpool are really pushing. Chelsea have always been intent to keep Mount, but have been relatively pessimistic throughout the second half of the season due to the parties being quite far apart on terms. It’s now a case of waiting to see whether Chelsea, and Pochettino’s arrival, can change that. Mount hasn’t agreed to anything yet.
Pochettino has also stressed the need to bring in proven Premier League players. He will assess the goalkeeper situation, but it is very possible a new No.1 arrives. Emi Martinez, David Raya, Jordan Pickford and Andre Onana are all on Chelsea’s radar. First Pochettino must decide whether Kepa or Édouard Mendy deserve a chance. A new No.1 could mean both exit this summer.
Chelsea are discussing various midfielders. Their interest in Declan Rice is no secret. The feeling remains Arsenal are frontrunners. Both Chelsea and Arsenal believe Rice should be cheaper than the £100m+ price tag West Ham are pushing. Romeo Lavia is also gettable now that Southampton are relegated. Chelsea aren’t the only club in that race.
Moises Caicedo remains a target as does his Brighton teammate Alexis Mac Allister. Chelsea explored Mac Allister shortly after the World Cup, but felt Brighton wouldn’t sanction a mid-season sale. Liverpool are far more advanced on Mac Allister, but let’s see if Pochettino’s arrival changes that. I still expect Mac Allister to move earlier in the window. Liverpool are certainly intent on getting their business done quickly which is why the coming weeks are crucial.
What about Chelsea’s pursuit of a new striker at Stamford Bridge?
Chelea’s main priority, though, is goals. That’s why Chelsea want a traditional No.9. Harry Kane will be linked, but it’s Manchester United to date who have done the legwork. It is highly unlikely Daniel Levy will entertain a transfer for less than £100m. And it remains to be seen whether he would sanction a sale to Chelsea even with just over a year left on Kane’s current contract.
Victor Osimhen, Dusan Vlahovic and Lautaro Martínez are other targets. Obviously Osimhen is highly-sought after. Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has said he’s not for sale this summer, but a deal could be done at the right price. It’s going to take at least £120m, though. This isn’t any real surprise. Osimhen has had an outstanding season, and remember the package to Lille with all aspects considered was around £70m, so you can understand why Napoli value the Nigerian striker at double that.
As for Martinez, Chelsea tried for him last summer but Inter weren’t having any of it. However they urgently need to sell. Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta has hinted Martinez will stay and can become a future captain at the club, but there is a deal to be had at the right price.
Regardless of who Chelsea bring in, and Pochettino will play a part in that, outgoings remain the most crucial thing this summer. Not every player exit will be smooth or quick. Chelsea’s clear-out is basically three windows worth of exits required all done over one summer.
It’s all very well saying the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mendy could depart but the reality is not every exit will be easy. Ziyech, for example, has huge wages making him far less appealing to many clubs. However, Pochettino has made it crystal clear the squad size must come down significantly.
One name who won’t be leaving is Levi Colwill, even though Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has hinted he’d love to work with the talented centre-back again next season. Chelsea sources are adamant that Colwill won’t be sold or loaned this summer. They view him as an elite-level centre-back and integral to the project. And I understand that Pochettino feels the same way.
There is a lot of work to be done. But Pochettino is an exciting appointment and the right name to get Chelsea back on track. For all of the turmoil of this season, industry insiders are well aware of what Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are trying to build. All the pieces are slowly falling in place, the question is just how long will the vision take to come to fruition. But when things finally click Pochettino’s Chelsea are likely to be a force to be reckoned with.
