Former PSG and Tottenham boss, Mauricio Pochettino, is edging closer to becoming the new Chelsea manager, according to widespread reports.
It has been a tumultuous first year of the Todd Boehly era at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues languishing in mid-table in the Premier League, and already onto their third boss of the campaign.
Frank Lampard is currently in charge on an interim basis, but BBC Sport report that Pochettino is in “advanced talks” to replace him – either immediately or at the end of the season.
The 51-year-old is said to be eager to take the job but an agreement is yet to be reached between the parties.
Pochettino has been out of a job since departing PSG at the end of last season after leading them to the Ligue 1 title.
Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel in September in the wake of a shock in a Champions’ League group stage defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, and replaced him with Graham Potter.
However, the former Brighton manager struggled to get a tune out of his expensively-assembled squad, and he too was dismissed in April.
Lampard came in to guide the side for a second time until the end of the season, but he has got off to a bad start, losing all four of his games in charge so far.
It has been a hugely disappointing campaign for the Blues, who spent more than any other club in Europe over the last two transfer windows.
Chelsea splashed out almost £300 million in January, including breaking the British transfer record for World Cup-winning midfielder, Enzo Fernandez, after spending a similar amount last summer.
But they currently sit in 11th place in the Premier League standings, and were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid at the quarter-final stage last week.
Pochettino’s appointment would mark a return to London for the Argentine, who led Tottenham between 2014 and 2019.
Although he failed to lead Spurs to a trophy, he did take them to the Champions League final in 2018/19, where they lost to Liverpool. – Eurosport
