Chelsea to hijack Man Utd transfer target if Pochettino arrives

Stuart Telford

• 7 May 2023 10:26 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea will try and beat Manchester United to Lautaro Martinez's signature if they appoint Mauricio Pochettino as manager, according to reports.

Chelsea and Manchester United are both in the market for a new striker, but the Blues could have an advantage in signing Inter Milan star Martinez once Pochettino is at the helm.

Pochettino will become the fifth manager of the Todd Boehly era - after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard - at the end of the season, and the former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain boss will oversee a squad overhaul.

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea put ENTIRE squad up for sale

Whilst a fire sale is expected - the whole squad is available against the backdrop of a potential Financial Fair Play investigation - a new striker remains a priority.

There were previously reports that Chelsea would compete with Man Utd to sign their top transfer target Harry Kane from Spurs, but Pochettino previously lined Martinez up as a potential replacement for the England captain in North London.

Pochettino a fan

"Lautaro Martinez is one of the best strikers in the world," he told Radio La Plata in 2020. "It's not just for what he does now, but for what his potential means going forward. If you start looking at hitmen for the big clubs, clearly his name has to be in there."

READ: Man Utd quoted ASTRONOMICAL price for Lautaro Martinez

And now that big club will be under Pochettino's control, and in need of a striker.

"With Pochettino firmly in the frame to become Graham Potter's successor, the Argentine has already given Chelsea the green light to hijack Manchester United's move for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez," report Football London.

Martinez has hit 19 goals in 34 games for Inter Milan in Serie A this season, and won the World Cup with Argentina in December. Pochettino's countryman is valued at €81.6 million by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm.