Soccer

Chelsea closing in on appointing Mauricio Pochettino as manager

Argentinian now the frontrunner after Nagelsmann withdrew, but negotiations are not yet complete

Mauricio Pochettino pictured in February during his time as manager of Paris Saint-Germain - he may not be on his way to Chelsea. Photograoh: Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images
Mauricio Pochettino pictured in February during his time as manager of Paris Saint-Germain - he may not be on his way to Chelsea. Photograoh: Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images
Jacob Steinberg
Mon Apr 24 2023 - 12:01

Chelsea are closing in on appointing Mauricio Pochettino as their head coach. Pochettino is the favourite and there is growing confidence talks will end in a successful conclusion.

The former Tottenham manager, unemployed since leaving Paris Saint-Germain last summer, emerged as the frontrunner after Julian Nagelsmann withdrew from the race at the end of last week.

Pochettino has held a series of positive talks with Chelsea’s owners and it is understood confirmation of the Argentinian as the permanent successor to Graham Potter could come soon. It has been stressed, though, that the deal is not done and that the club have other candidates in mind in case negotiations collapse. Chelsea have not offered Pochettino the job yet. It is unclear whether he would start immediately or in the summer if a deal is struck.

Chelsea’s controlling co-owners, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, are under pressure to make the right appointment after a chaotic first season. Pochettino, whose links with Spurs are unlikely to be an impediment to his taking the job, would be the third permanent manager to work under this ownership. Chelsea put Frank Lampard in temporary charge after firing Potter this month.

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Potter, who had been in post for only seven months, had been brought in after the shock dismissal of Thomas Tuchel last September. However Chelsea, who have spent close to £600m since last summer, fired the former Brighton manager after a dreadful run. Chelsea lie 11th in the Premier League and are unlikely to be in Europe next season.

Boehly and Eghbali have put the co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, in charge of identifying candidates. The widespread expectation at first was that the job would go to Nagelsmann, who was available after being sacked by Bayern Munich last month. The 35-year-old German impressed during talks but pulled out after developing concerns over the role. Chelsea have maintained Nagelsmann was never their first choice and that they had doubts after conducting background checks.

The hierarchy have been keen not to rush the appointment and have assessed a series of managers. Burnley’s Vincent Kompany is prominent in Chelsea’s thinking and there is interest in Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou and Feyernoord’s Arne Slot. Interest in Luis Enrique and Rúben Amorim is unlikely to be pursued.

The expectation remains that Chelsea want an elite manager and Pochettino fits the bill. The 51-year-old led Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019 and won Ligue 1 with PSG. He had a transformative effect on Spurs after joining from Southampton in 2014, turning them into title contenders and improving many of the young players.

Pochettino’s relationship with Spurs deteriorated after they lost the Champions League final to Liverpool and he lost his job in November 2019. However his stock remains high and it would be a coup for Chelsea to land him. Pochettino has the strength of character to revive the club and his experience of the Premier League puts him above other candidates.

There are still some hurdles for Chelsea to overcome during talks with the former Espanyol manager. The owners have come under fire since buying the club and they will need to convince Pochettino that working for them would be good for his career.

There is confidence within the club that the remaining obstacles will not prove insurmountable. There is little prospect of Spurs attempting to hijack the deal. There have been suggestions that Pochettino could be a target for Real Madrid if they fire Carlo Ancelotti, but it would be a gamble for him to wait for that vacancy to arise.

One of Pochettino’s biggest tasks would be trying to make sense of Chelsea’s bloated squad. He would need the club to sell several players but would inherit a talented squad and would likely be granted significant funds for signings. - Guardian