Breaking news! Chelsea makes crazy Mauricio Pochettino sack move before Bournemouth clash
Mauricio Pochettino is still hovering around the brink of giving his full commitment to the cause while simultaneously drawing attention to his future plans with Chelsea. This is because, going into the last week of his first season as coach, his position as head coach for the following season is still up in the air.
Either way, the upcoming summer will be monumental. Pochettino will need to make significant adjustments in order to bolster the team, add experience, and improve the quality of the readymades. There would still be additions in the group that needed to be worked out without him.
When asked about the summer during his pre-Bournemouth press conference on Friday, Pochettino described just how things are working. “That is a talk we will do with the sporting directors and the owners will be involved, to see how we can [improve],” he said.
“Football is a very dynamic sport and things can change. We are working for the summer and preseason and to prepare in the best way.”
Pochettino alternative
Chelsea have made Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna one of their top candidates to replace Pochettino if the head coach leaves at the end of the season. Pochettino is due an assessment from the decision-makers at Stamford Bridge following the conclusion of his first year in charge.
This will be overseen by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, who were key to his hire last year, as well as co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s Behdad Eghbali. The Guardian write that McKenna, who won his second promotion in a row with the Tractor Boys to see them up into the Premier League for next season, is a leading target for the Blues.
Chelsea could yet split with Pochettino despite a promising end to the season having them on the brink of securing some form of European football. The Argentine himself admitted that it will be a two-way discussion over how the club moves forward, suggesting that he will leave if certain aspects of the plan aren’t aligned.
football.london says: The timing of this is really questionable, but largely shouldn’t be anything too much to worry about for those now advocating for Pochettino and less change at Chelsea. On the eve of what could cap off a strangely successful season, the 52-year-old won’t enjoy this report at all though.
He has complained publicly in recent weeks of effectively not being backed outright and for the lack of understanding over the ‘circumstances’ that have resulted in a tricky first year. To then see suggestions that the club are eyeing up his replacement – talking to McKenna’s representatives – is quite a kick.
Chelsea would be being naive if they weren’t contingency planning, however. Teams at the top are always on their toes, and sounding out a manager over their interest is not the same as approaching them or acting on admiration.
McKenna is a logical name to be linked with the top jobs due to his links with Manchester United and Jose Mourinho, plus his small body of work is mightily impressive. Vincent Kompany was in the same situation last year when tipped to become the new Tottenham manager.
Whilst certainly a top young coach, McKenna is not the sort of manager that Chelsea really need in reality. He is not totally comparable to Graham Potter but this would be a remarkable step-up that asks brand new questions of a junior coach. Chelsea don’t need to be taking this sort of risk right now and would be pretty crazy to consider anything other than moving forward with Pochettino, at least for now.
Even for Chelsea’s standards, it is hard to see a way that Pochettino isn’t in the dugout at SW6 come August. Never say never though.
Estevao extravaganza
Chelsea’s next big-money teenage signing, Estevao Willian, is not being lined up for a loan when he turns 18 in 2025. Fabrizio Romano reports that the Brazilian sensation will instead join up with the first-team when he eventually moves to England next summer.
The wonderkid has agreed to join Chelsea in what is said to be a £34million initial deal including over £20million of potential add-ons. It is now waiting on the sign-off from Palmeiras’ president, and Estevao will pen a seven-year deal running until 2032, starting from his 18th birthday in 12 months time.
He will arrive at the club at the same time as fellow South America ace Kendry Paez. He remains at Independiente del Valle in Ecuador and has been catching the eye.
football.london says: It’s certainly easier said than done, integrating a player this young into the senior set-up smoothly, but Chelsea are investing millions (and millions, and millions) into plans to do just that. Along with Estevao they have signed Paez, Angelo Gabriel (free), Andrey Santos, and Deivid Washington as exciting teens from South America alone.