Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment is a huge vote of confidence for Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s project at Chelsea.
His arrival was formally confirmed yesterday after he signed a two-year contract, with an option for a further 12 months, following careful deliberation on both sides.
Chelsea needed to be sure about Pochettino after rushing into their appointment of Graham Potter last September less than 48 hours after they sacked Thomas Tuchel.
Pochettino, understandably given the chaotic nature of the season just gone and the mess at Chelsea, also needed to be sure about what he was getting into.
His decision to take on the job could finally spark a new era at Stamford Bridge into life.
Chelsea believe they have appointed a “world-class coach” and, in a statement yesterday, their owners praised Pochettino for his “high-energy and eye-catching style” and how he has “built a reputation for helping young players realise their full potential”.
Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, Jose E Feliciano, Mark Walter and Hansjorg Wyss said: “The sporting team conducted a diligent and thoughtful process that the board is proud of. We are delighted that Mauricio will be joining Chelsea. Mauricio is a world-class coach with an outstanding track record. We are all looking forward to having him on board.”
The hard work starts now for Pochettino, who does not officially take the reins until July 1 but will immediately start planning for next season.
Boehly has taken a planned step back from day-to-day operations and must allow Pochettino, along with his backroom team and sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, to take over and do things his way.
Time is of the essence and the Argentine needs to decide which players he wants to put at the heart of his rebuild.
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Pochettino is excited to work with £106.7million signing Enzo Fernandez and has indicated he wants Mason Mount to be a big part of his plans, though it remains to be seen if he can exert any influence over his future amid a contract stand-off with Chelsea.
The Blues are set for a clear-out of their squad and are in a race to sell players before June 30 so the sales can be included in their financial accounts for 2022-23.
Pochettino is set to hold individual talks with players and wants to build his squad around a core of homegrown players, including the on-loan Brighton defender Levi Colwill.
Along with Winstanley and Stewart, he also faces urgent discussions over transfer targets as Chelsea target a new striker and a new goalkeeper as their priorities this summer.
The Blues also want a midfielder, and reports in Portugal claim talks have been held with Sporting over Manuel Ugarte as they seek a midfield partner for Fernandez.
Pochettino, who has been joined by his trusted staff of Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino, Toni Jimenez and his son Sebastiano, ticks a lot of boxes for Chelsea.
He can build teams, develop young players, has big-club experience and, despite not winning anything at Tottenham, won trophies at Paris Saint-Germain.
His personality and charisma should help reunite supporters with the team after a dismal season in which Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League, with a club-record low tally of 44 points and closer to the relegation zone than the European places.
Chelsea scored only 38 Premier League goals this season and are interested in the Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, while talks with Romelu Lukaku are on hold until after he plays in the Champions League Final with Inter Milan.
Pochettino knows he faces a big summer and is ready to work closely with Winstanley and Stewart, who said in the Chelsea statement yesterday: “Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward.
“He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages. His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate.”
