Chelsea in talks with Pochettino as hunt for new boss continues

Tom Hancock

• 20 Apr 2023 18:53 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea have opened talks with Mauricio Pochettino about the prospect of becoming their next head coach.

The former Tottenham boss, 51, is on the Blues’ shortlist to step into the Stamford Bridge dugout – where Frank Lampard has returned as interim manager following the dismissal of Graham Potter.

Pochettino – who led Spurs to four top-four Premier League finishes and the 2019 Champions League final – has been without a job since being sacked by PSG last summer.

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According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have held ‘initial talks’ with the Argentine, who has also previously coached Southampton and Espanyol.

Chelsea parted ways with Potter at the beginning of April, just seven months after the ex-Brighton boss had succeeded Thomas Tuchel.

At the time, the Blues were languishing in mid-table in the Premier League – and that’s where they remain, with Lampard overseeing defeats to Wolves and Brighton in each of his first two games back in charge.

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A ship in desperate need of steadying

Of course, Lampard has only been brought back in to hold the reins while Chelsea decide upon their next permanent managerial appointment – but recent results have only served to reaffirm the dire state the team currently find themselves in.

Is Pochettino the man to revive the Blues’ fortunes next season (a season in which the 2020/21 champions of Europe are unlikely to play in any continental competition)? That’s certainly up for debate.

But what’s clear is that Chelsea desperately need some stability in the dugout; having spent nearly €650m since Todd Boehly’s takeover almost a year ago, they cannot afford another campaign of utter mediocrity.