Chelsea to sign PSG star thanks to Pochettino links

Stuart Telford

• 27 Apr 2023 15:08 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea are set to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager this summer, and the former Paris Saint-Germain boss could lean on his links to the French capital as the Blues look to rebuild.

Pochettino will become the fourth manager of the Todd Boehly era after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard if he gets the job, and he is set to be given the funds for a squad overhaul, provided Chelsea can also balance their books with player sales.

The path between Paris and Chelsea is well-trodden, with Blues stalwart Thiago Silva a former PSG captain, while Neymar has been repeatedly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge since Boehly succeeded Roman Abramovich in ownership last May.

READ: Achraf Hakimi and the 10 most expensive right-backs of all time

But the next player to make the journey from the French capital to West London looks like being Achraf Hakimi, with the Moroccan right-back set to be made available for transfer by PSG this summer.

Chelsea's Hakimi interest

"[Chelsea] tried to sign the former Real Madrid and Inter Milan man prior to his move to PSG in the summer of 2021, and with his former PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino about to take charge at Stamford Bridge, the Blues could rekindle their interest," report TeamTalk.

"The Argentine is reportedly already planning a squad overhaul and could look to Hakimi to bolster his right-back options. While the club plan to reduce their bloated squad, funds will be provided for Hakimi if Pochettino pursues a deal."

READ: How Chelsea can raise more than €500m with player sales

Chelsea made Reece James their best paid defender ever last September, tying the England man down to a six-year contract, but his injury record is a cause for concern, as is Malo Gusto's, the young right-back who will arrived from Lyon.

Hakimi has no such problems, and his versatility is also an asset - he could play as a wing-back in front of James or on the opposite flank - although Chelsea would have to pay for the privilege.

Hakimi is valued at €65.3 million by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, and has an ETV of €71.6m.