CHELSEA
Mauricio Pochettino agrees Stamford Bridge deal: When will he be announced as the Chelsea manager?
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager had been out of work for a year and has opted for a return to the Premier League.
Sources in England report that Mauricio Pochettino has agreed a deal to become Chelsea manager this summer. The former Tottenham Hotspur boss had been the front-runner for some time but has now penned a three-year deal that will keep him in West London until 2026.
Pochettino, who first established himself as an elite manager when he led Chelsea’s London rivals Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2019, left Paris Saint-Germain last summer and has been out of work ever since.
The Argentine will replace interim boss Frank Lampard at Chelsea and becomes the fourth manager of a turbulent first year under the club’s new owners. The 51-year-old topped a shortlist that is thought to have included the likes of Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann.
When will Pochettino be announced as Chelsea coach?
Pochettino’s impending appointment has been expected for weeks, but the club opted not to instal him on the touchline until the end of the season. Chelsea have endured a torrid season on the pitch, slumping to a mid-table finish and failing to get the most of the £600 million of talent that has been purchased over the past 12 months.
Lampard will remain in interim charge for Sunday’s Premier League finale against Newcastle United.
Pochettino is thought to have been in contact with Lampard in recent weeks as he looked to whittle down the Blues’ bloated but talented squad. The Guardian reports that his appointment will be officially announced by the club next week.
He has a busy summer ahead to bring some direction to a club that has looked completely aimless at times this season. Since the sacking of popular former manager Thomas Tuchel early in the campaign, Chelsea have lurched between different styles under different managers.
Pochettino has been brought in on the basis of his reputation as a ‘club-builder’ at Spurs, taking them to the top table of European football. When he officially begins at Chelsea the job at hand could be even more difficult.