Mauricio Pochettino is poised to take over at Chelsea - breaking hearts at his former club Tottenham.
The 51-year-old Argentine is set to become the fourth man at the Stamford Bridge helm this season after the Blues’ American owners sacked Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter and with Frank Lampard in caretaker charge. Talks are ongoing but the expectation is that Pochettino will take his trusted lieutenants, Jesus Perez and Steve Hitchen with him.
Chelsea's American owners are keen to steady the ship in time for high-profile games against Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. Lampard has endured a nightmare run during his brief interim spell, losing to Wolves and Brighton in the Premier League and Real Madrid home and away in the Champions League.
During that run his team has scored just once and conceded seven times. Brighton’s shock win at Stamford Bridge, two weeks ago, was the Seagulls’ first-ever in Premier League history.
Chelsea captain Thiago Silva uncharacteristically broke ranks last week and defiantly laid bare the extent of the disaffection in the dressing room with players unhappy at being left on the bench and out of squads.
It has left the Chelsea hierarchy desperate to act now rather than wait until the summer to replace Potter long term.
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Pochettino has been out of work since July last year when he was sacked by PSG, despite winning the French title.
He led Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019 but was sacked later that year, paying the price after the club failed to invest heavily that summer and results nosedived. Fans in north London have repeatedly chanted his name at recent games in a plea for the board to take him back.
But Pochettino has shown little interest in returning to Tottenham and is instead understood to be excited at the prospect of working with a young, talented squad in south-west London.
