Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly arrived at Chelsea with three transfer demands, with a busy summer imminent at Stamford Bridge. The former Tottenham boss is expected to be well-backed when the campaign concludes, with a clear out of fringe stars also on the horizon.
The Blues have underperformed markedly this season, with Graham Potter failing to get a tune out of his oversized squad and struggling to show true signs of promise. Interim boss Frank Lampard has failed to steady the ship in the dugout either, showcasing the size of the project to Pochettino.
The Argentine is likely to be named as Chelsea’s new manager following weeks of negotiations that have seen several candidates interviewed – and drop out of the running. Though Todd Boehly’s long-term admiration of Pochettino has led the search to be almost concluded.
The ex-Spurs boss is said to have reviewed what he believes the squad needs, with Football.London reporting that the soon-to-be Blues manager is ‘demanding’ a goalkeeper, midfielder and striker is signed at the end of the season.
Given that Chelsea already have an oversized squad, the news of signings in several departments could prove to be bad news for some fringe stars. Pochettino does not want to acquire players until his squad size is reduced, meaning that Edouard Mendy could be one of the first departures of the summer to create space for a new No 1 at the club.
Despite almighty midfield investment over the past few windows, Pochettino is not content with the quality he has on offer in that area of the pitch. Mason Mount and N’Golo Kante could be set to stay at Stamford Bridge regardless, which may mean that Mateo Kovacic is sold given that he only has two years left of his contract.
The Croatia international is not short of suitors though, with Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Liverpool all reportedly holding an in interest in the 29-year-old. Chelsea may, in contrast, struggle to offload Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the end of the season given that the Gabonese forward is the likeliest candidate to be moved on in favour of a new striker.
The ex-Arsenal star’s bumper wages make him unattainable to numerous clubs, with Barcelona hopeful of re-signing the versatile attacker, but on the condition that they are able to balance their Financial Fair Play situation and convince Aubameyang to reduce his salary to a lower rate to facilitate the move.
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