Mauricio Pochettino appears to have been handed an early blow to his summer preparations at Chelsea. The Argentine is expected to be unveiled as the new manager at Stamford Bridge.
football.london understands that Pochettino has agreed a deal to take the hot seat in the Blues dugout at the end of the season. After weeks of positive negotiations, the two parties finally reached an agreement just hours after the west Londoners' draw with Nottingham Forest.
No official confirmation of the deal is yet to be announced from the club, but work behind-the-scenes is expected to be well underway at Cobham ahead of the summer transfer window. The Blues are due to experience another busy summer, with Todd Boehly keen to ensure there is no repeat of this season's disappointing performances.
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The goalkeeper options are expected to be bolstered in the summer after Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy have both struggled to permanently claim the number one spot. Inter Milan's Andre Onana has recently been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Mateo Kovacic said to be offered as part of Chelsea's move for the shot-stopper.
However, after helping Inter reach the Champions League final this week, Onana's services have been discussed by his agent, Albert Botines. In an TV interview with TV Play, Botines has insisted his client is happy in Italy, hampering Pochettino's plan of bringing the Cameroon international to west London.
"Transfer market rumours are normal at this stage, but I prefer not to talk about it because it's very early and now the boy is focused only on the pitch," he said.
"We have a five-year contract with Inter. He has another four years on his contract and now he is focused only on the Serie A final and the Champions League final. He still has a long contract, don't worry. He's very happy, he's playing for the strongest team in Italy."
It's easy to see why Pochettino is tempted by Onana. This season, FBREF have him ranked 93rd percentile for his save percentage and 95th percentile for clean sheets. He also ranks 87th percentile for touches when compared to other goalkeepers in Europe's top five divisions.
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