Todd Boehly looks set to welcome Mauricio Pochettino to Cobham training ground with six housewarming presents. The American billionaire is eager to ensure that the newly-appointed Chelsea boss hits the ground running, so several arrangements have been put in place.
Last month, football.london revealed that an agreement was reached with Pochettino to become the Blues' new head coach following weeks of positive conversations. After penning an initial two-year contract, with the option for a third, Pochettino will officially start his role as manager on July 1, meaning he has a full pre-season to get his feet under the table and begin planning for next term.
The west Londoners have already welcomed 14 new faces to club since Boehly took the helm at Stamford Bridge, tallying around £600million in fees. While the former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss will be treated to the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Wesley Fofana, he faces the difficult task of lifting team morale after miserable end to the season under Frank Lampard.
Chelsea ended the Premier League campaign with just one win in their final ten games, drawing twice and losing seven. Despite the mass spending spree tactic January not working, Boehly looks set to have another roll of the dice.
According to The Times, the Blues plan to sign as many as six more players this summer, adding that they have an arrangement in place depending on how many leave. The report states that Pochettino's priority will be to trim down the bloated squad, but he's still expected to be given access to a war chest.
The Times outline Andre Onana, Mike Maignan, Lautaro Martinez and Moises Caicedo as the west Londoners' top targets. With several midfielders set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, such as Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and N'Golo Kante, Chelsea could be tempted to sign an additional playmaker alongside the aforementioned Brighton star.
After missing out on Manuel Ugarte to PSG and Declan Rice increasingly likely to choose Arsenal, the Blues could set their sights on Romeo Lavia. Chelsea were unsuccessful in their mission to sign the the 19-year-old midfielder last year, but he remains firmly on the club's radar.
READ MORE: Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: 'Done deal', Mount exit 'agreed', Onana swap deal, Vlahovic bid
football.london understands the west Londoners are big admirers of the Southampton star and they've done extensive scouting research on him. Lavia, who sees his contract at St Mary's expire in 2027, featured 29 times for Ruben Selles' side last season, anchoring the Saints' midfield to excellent effect despite their relegation.
However, Chelsea could face tough competition from Manchester City for the Belgian youngster. According to the Daily Mail, the Premier League champions inserted three clauses into Lavia's contract when he left for the south coast; a 20% sell-on clause, a £40million buy-back clause and the ability to match any future bids.
This could hand the Blues a huge blow to any hope they had of signing the wonderkid but, with Pochettino in the dugout, Chelsea still stand a chance.
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