Michael Owen believes Chelsea will finish in the top four of the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino next season.
Former Tottenham boss Pochettino is expected to appointed as Chelsea's next manager in the summer, succeeding Frank Lampard. The Blues are enduring a miserable campaign, as they are 12th in the Premier League and failed to compete in the cup competitions.
Chelsea could still finish as low as 14th in the table if they lose their remaining Premier League games against Manchester United and Newcastle. Despite the club's woes, pundit Owen thinks Pochettino is the right manager for the Stamford Bridge job.
Speaking to Premier League productions, Owen said: "I think they will [finish in the top four next season]. The most important thing at that club is to get rid of players. You can never, ever have a squad of that much quality and have harmony."
Chelsea have been the biggest spenders in Europe since Todd Boehly's consortium completed a takeover a year ago. Signings include Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Noni Madueke, Marc Cucurrella, Benoit Badiashile, Mykhaylo Mudruk and Enzo Fernandez.
Several players are expected to leave Chelsea this summer after Jorginho joined Arsenal in January. The likes of Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and N'Golo Kante have been linked with other clubs.
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Owen added: "You’re constantly draining all your energy trying to keep 30 players happy. I think the main thing now is to get rid of half a dozen players, focus on a smaller pool, and I think they will do alright next season.
"It’s easier said than done... there’s some that will naturally go - whether that be due to age, not being good enough or coming up to the end of their contract."
Chelsea's recruitment drive has backfired. The Blues replaced manager Thomas Tuchel with Graham Potter, who failed to get the best out of their inflated squad. Lampard was re-appointed on a caretaker basis last month but has won just one game.
Pochettino has been out of work since leaving Paris Saint-Germain a year ago. The Argentine is one of the most respected managers in Europe after spells with Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham and PSG - although his Spurs links will alarm some Chelsea fans.
During his time at Tottenham, Pochettino guided them to the 2015 League Cup final and the 2019 Champions League final, losing to Chelsea and Liverpool respectively. They also finished second to Chelsea in the Premier League title race six years ago.
Pochettino is a four-time Premier League Manager of the Month and won three trophies at PSG: the Ligue 1 title, the French Cup and the French Super Cup. He will need to be successful at Chelsea after the club's toughest season in a generation.
