Mauricio Pochettino: Chelsea hold talks with former Tottenham boss as they continue manager search | Football News

April 20, 2023 admin

Chelsea have held initial talks with Mauricio Pochettino over the manager position at Stamford Bridge.

It is understood the former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham coach is one of five candidates at this stage of the process.

Chelsea have been admirers of Pochettino in the past and enquired about his availability when Thomas Tuchel left the club in September.

Sky Sports News has been told Pochettino will assess his options in the summer as he prepares for the right opportunity. The 51-year-old has been out of work since parting company with PSG in July 2022.

Pochettino has been approached by Real Madrid twice before and has also turned down several offers in recent months from clubs in various European leagues.

Neville: Poch the right fit for Boehly’s Chelsea

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville feels Pochettino is the right man to take charge next on a permanent basis at Stamford Bridge, given the profile of players Chelsea have signed.

“Based on what [Chelsea co-owner Todd] Boehly has said, Chelsea have done their spending for the next three years – apart from signing a centre forward,” Neville said on Monday Night Football earlier this month.

“If they appoint Zinedine Zidane, Luis Enrique or Diego Simeone, they’re going to want to have another £300m as they won’t like some of the players they’ve previously signed.

“They’ve got to appoint a manager who is going to inherit and like the squad that they’ve got – a lot of them are young – and I think that man is Mauricio Pochettino.”

Data study: Why Chelsea, Spurs should prioritise Pochettino

London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham are on the hunt for a new long-term manager – and, according to a data analysis team’s in-depth study, it is Pochettino they should prioritise appointing.

With Graham Potter and Antonio Conte recently dismissed, Chelsea are being led by Frank Lampard until the end of the season, with Cristian Stellini fulfilling the same role at Spurs.

Both clubs have been linked with a range of different managers – but the numbers point towards Pochettino as the best option, according to this team’s deep dive into the data.

Former Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim manager Julian Nagelsmann met Chelsea officials for the first time last week as the club continued their search for a new manager.

The talks with Nagelsmann are understood to have been positive, though Chelsea will take their time before appointing a permanent successor to Potter, with a decision not expected to be imminent.

Nagelsmann: The definitive guide to Chelsea and Tottenham target

Nagelsmann was labelled a ‘PR stunt’ at the start of his career. The man who turned down Real Madrid before turning 31, is now wanted by Chelsea and Tottenham. Here’s the definitive guide to the former Bayern Munich manager…

‘Schnapsidee’ – a crackpot idea that could only be fuelled by alcohol – screamed a headline in the German publication Frankfurter Rundschau. Their counterparts, Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, went for the simpler but no less stinging ‘PR stunt.’

It was early 2016 and the local press pack weren’t pulling any punches when Hoffenheim placed a 28-year-old Julian Nagelsmann in charge of their first team.

Flick on a few years and the youngest permanent manager in Bundesliga history was turning down Real Madrid before celebrating his 31st birthday. Let go by Bayern Munich in March – a decision that has split the dressing room and club legends – he is now wanted by Chelsea and Tottenham.

Nagelsmann will manage in the Premier League – it is only a matter of where and when. His career has been moulded by personal tragedy that made it easy to drown out dissenting voices, frame football in perspective, and peel back before making major decisions.