Exclusive: Chelsea interested in 'one of the best' managers around with Mauricio Pochettino's future in doubt

24/04/2024 17:45

• Exclusive from Graeme Bailey

TBR Football understands Mauricio Pochettino’s future at Chelsea remains unclear with the club’s hierarchy openly doing their due diligence on potential options to replace the Argentine.

Sources have confirmed to TBR that Chelsea‘s hierarchy have been ‘underwhelmed’ with the club’s performances this season and although a top-four finish was never an insistance this term, but the fact they never seriously challenged is a concern.

The club’s footballing department believe that whilst the squad still needs some work, with a main striker their main summer transfer target, they feel the playing staff is better than their current position and performances suggest.

It is also understood that Chelsea’s hierarchy and Pochettino do have some differing thoughts on the make-up of the squad. For instance the club’s top brass are ready to move on from the likes of Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling, something which they head coach is not entirely convinced by.

Pochettino only has just over a year left on his current deal and is aware that the club are looking around at other options – should they decide to move on.

Chelsea sources insist that the club are only doing their duty in making sure options are assessed in case they do decide a change is needed – with co-owners Behdad Eghbali is Todd Boehly considering their next course of action.

TBR understands that Chelsea were one of the clubs interested in Julian Nagelsmann before he committed to the German national side, whilst Xavi is someone the club are keeping close tabs on – although we are told Barcelona remain confident they could persuade their head coach to remain with the club, despite previously announcing he would be leaving in the summer.

TBR has been told that Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim remains someone who Eghbali and Boehly are huge admirers of, having previously been a target for them last summer. Now with Amorim making it known through his representatives that he is ready to leave – he is again on Chelsea’s radar.

Amorim and his agent’s flew to London on Monday for talks with West Ham – confirming that they are in the market for offers. This came after weeks of talks with Liverpool – although they have since moved onto Feyenoord’s Arne Slot.

Bologna’s Thiago Motta is another who has impressed Chelsea this season – but he is firm favourite to take charge at Juventus – who in-turn could part company with Max Allegri, who was previously linked with a move to Stamford Bridge as has Inter’s Simone Inzaghi – whose side have just captured the Serie A title.

TBR is told that the club’s hierarchy are due for crunch in the coming weeks and they will decide on Pochettino’s future sooner rather than later.

TBR View

Things simply haven’t gone well for Pochettino at Chelsea, to put it mildly.

The Argentine arrived at Stamford Bridge as one of the most exciting coaches around. We’ve all seen how well he did at Tottenham, and it was hoped he could usher in a similarly exciting era at Chelsea.

However, the 5-0 defeat at Arsenal was a particularly bitter pill to swallow, and it’s not as though it’s a one-off – the Blues have struggled for much of the season and currently sit ninth in the table.

Amorim would be a good shout for Chelsea. He is a manager Pep Guardiola previously deemed “one of the best at the moment”, and the Blues were keen on him last year, so they’ve already done their due diligence on him.

In addition, Liverpool seem to have cooled their interest in Amorim, and he seems ready to leave Sporting, so now’s as good a time as ever for Chelsea to swoop.

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