Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping to create a similar dynasty to the one he left at Tottenham when he officially becomes Chelsea manager on July 1. For several seasons, the Spurs team Pochettino created were feared in the Premier League as the Argentine helped the club become regular Champions League participants.
A trophy ultimately alluded him during his five-and-a-half years at the club despite a Carabao Cup final appearance and a painful Champions League final loss to Liverpool. In west London, Pochettino will certainly be hoping that is not repeated, but before the thought of trophies can occupy his mind, in the short-term, he has several problems that need dealing with.
Firstly, a significant squad clearout is a clear priority with 32 players listed as first-team stars on Chelsea's official website. Denis Zakaria, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Joao Felix due to the expiration of contracts and loan spells are expected to depart, while Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Hakim Ziyech, Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cesar Azpilicueta, Kalidou Koulibaly and Ruben Loftus-Cheek could all be sold.
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However, the final name in that list could be a perfect Pochettino player. Unfortunately, his future may have already been decided with the midfielder close to completing a summer move to AC Milan. football.london reported in April that the Italian club had made contact with Chelsea over a potential summer move.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has now claimed that negotiations between the two parties are progressing well and Loftus-Cheek is also keen on the move, which would see him follow in the footsteps of Fikayo Tomori.
Due to injuries to Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante, the 27-year-old was handed his first league start in nearly two months against Manchester City. The reigning champions dominated the early stages but the Blues gained some control as the game elapsed, largely down to the running power and ball progression from Loftus-Cheek which saw him earn praise from manager Frank Lampard and former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison
"I liked midfield," Lampard revealed after the game. "I thought Ruben was really good, level of game to come in and show those lovely attributes he's got, you can see he moves with the ball.
Morrison also said: "Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been travelling well with the ball, he's so elegant when he carries it. Chelsea are definitely looking to get on the front foot a bit more."
Although an exit for Loftus-Cheek, who is valued at around £22million on football database website Transfermarkt, seems likely to occur, he has some qualities that Pochettino would love and may see him likened to Mousa Dembele. The Belgian midfielder was excellent in Pochettino's 4-2-3-1 system in north London which allowed him to be the main ball carrier for the team, something that is arguably Loftus-Cheek's best attribute.
A summer sale cannot really be disputed though as Loftus-Cheek has struggled to make a lasting impact for Chelsea in recent seasons after loan spells at Fulham and Crystal Palace. However, if the move falls through, the Cobham graduate could find himself in the best possible position to reach his full potential under a manager who helped a midfielder with a similar play style thrive.
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