14 May 2023 , 23:45
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After lengthy negotiations, Mauricio Pochettino is on the verge of being announced as the new permanent manager of Chelsea as he gears up to sign a long-term deal.
Many of the Stamford Bridge faithful were keen on announcing Pochettino some time ago, but it is believed that the owners did not want to add further disruption to what has been an entirely disastrous second spell at the helm for Frank Lampard. The former Blues midfielder replaced Graham Potter on an interim basis in April until the end of the season.
Pochettino will not get to grips with the Chelsea squad until the summer, but his appointment marks his first job since last summer and his first return to the English top-flight since he was relieved of his duties at Tottenham in November of 2019.
In terms of how the Chelsea players have taken the news, it is believed that the general consensus is one of positivity towards Pochettino. His experience is thought to have gone down well with a number of Blues star's who will be delighted to see the back of this season and potentially Lampard.
It has been a campaign to forget for Chelsea, who currently languish all the way down in 11th and way behind the rest of their big-six rivals.
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Pochettino will be well aware of the size of the task that awaits him. He'll also be aware of the size of the squad, as the Argentine may have to make some difficult calls in a bid to trim Chelsea's bloated outfit.
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Mauricio Pochettino is set to become the new Chelsea boss (Getty Images)It is currently unclear who exactly Pochettino could look to offload, but there have been reports the former Spurs boss is keen on bolstering the spine of the Chelsea side by adding a new goalkeeper, central midfielder and centre-forward to the mix.
It has been six weeks since Potter was dismissed from his post in the Stamford Bridge hot-seat and the players and fans are united in their desire to get the new man through the door as soon as possible in time for pre-season.
A healthy amount of Pochettino's backroom staff have also made the move to west London with the Argentine. Sorting the contracts of his staff is thought to be one of the reasons negotiations with Pochettino have rumbled on.
Chelsea currently languish as low as 11th and have won just one league game since Lampard took over from Potter in early April.
Their last outing saw them drop points at home to a Nottingham Forest side fighting tooth and nail to beat the drop and maintain their Premier League status.
Pochettino would have seen plenty he'll be keen to improve on once he gets his hands on Chelsea's skilful but struggling side.