Chelsea remain hopeful they will soon have a new manager in place – possibly as soon as this weekend – and plan to hold an interview soon with their top pick in Kieran McKenna and amid extraordinary new claims about two issues Mauricio Pochettino had concerns about at Stamford Bridge.
Regular readers of TEAMtalk will know that a meeting was being held on Monday and over Tuesday between the Chelsea board of directors to discuss the season just gone and on the direction to take going forwards, and in particular the future of Pochettino at Stamford Bridge. And while the announcement of the exit of the 52-year-old came as a shock to many, we had informed you why his exit was always a strong possibility.
And while Pochettino still retained support from many within the Chelsea boardroom, there were others – most notably Behdad Eghbali – who were not convinced by the former Tottenham and PSG coach, believing that despite their revival over the second half of the season which ultimately saw them finish sixth, their inability to claim a Champions League place was actually a huge failure.
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We also understand that Pochettino had major disagreements over the club’s plan to sell off some of their homegrown stars – in particular Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah – with it ultimately decided to part ways now on amicable terms, rather than midway through next season which could have been more damaging for the club.
Next Chelsea manager: Blues to hold interviews with pecking order decided
Now the hunt has quickly turned to whom should replace Pochettino in the Chelsea dug out next season and we have revealed the four names very quicky put on their wishlist: McKenna, Sebastian Hoeness and Thomas Frank.
Now new information from our transfer correspondent, Fraser Gillan – who has a number of close contacts at Stamford Bridge – has shed new light on the hunt for Pochettino’s successor.
We can reveal the Blues are desperate to appoint a young, progressive coach and are using data and analytics to help them make an informed choice.
And Gillan claims that Boehly and his fellow co-owner Eghbali have settled on Ipswich Town boss McKenna as their number one choice to succeed Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
The 38-year-old has led the Tractor Boys from the League One doldrums to the Premier League in two seasons, winning widespread acclaim for his style of football along the way.
But that success is set to come at a price for the Suffolk side, who have seen the likes of Brighton, Manchester United and now Chelsea all cast eyes in the direction of the Northern Irishman.
Ipswich are, understandably, desperate to keep McKenna ahead of their return to the Premier League, trying to open talks on a new contract with him.
However, we have been informed that Ipswich are now expecting their manager to leave, with officials at the club informed of Chelsea’s intentions.
As such, McKenna is waiting for the green light to get permission to be interviewed by Chelsea with sources at Portman Road now expecting him to leave.
The Blues do also still like Enzo Maresca of Leicester, Brentford boss Frank and Hoeness of Stuttgart, though moves for the latter two are considered ‘difficult’ at this stage.
Pochettino exit: worrying new claims on Chelsea exit
Meanwhile, fresh claims over Pochettino’s exit at Chelsea have emerged with their former boss having serious reservations over their two most expensive signings in Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.
The pair cost Chelsea a combined £221m while arriving over two separate transfer windows in 2023, with World Cup winner Fernandez arriving from Benfica for £105.9m in January and fellow South American Caicedo from Brighton for a deal ultimately worth £115m over the summer.
However, we understand that Pochettino had serious reservations about the pair’s ability to play together in the middle of the park, also expressing his dissatisfaction at the ‘quality and balance’ within the Chelsea squad.
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After an unsettled opening five months of his reign, Pochettino ultimately managed to settle on a balanced side, helping the Blues reach the Carabao Cup final, the FA Cup semi-finals and, ultimately, a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League.
But in private, we understand Pochettino expressed uncertainty about Fernandez’s ability to play as a creative No 8, feeling the two players together lacked the necessary power and strength to play as a midfield combination in the Premier League.
However, with the manager now a part of Chelsea’s history, he is unlikely to be out of work for long.
We revealed Manchester United have now been alerted by his availability, while Bayern Munich and potentially even the FA – should England lose Gareth Southgate – are also keen on his appointment.