Managing Chelsea as flop Mudryk sold, Osimhen signs and Brentford star arrives
Mauricio Pochettino has arrived at Chelsea, but it is not as if he doesn't know what he's walking into.
The former Tottenham boss has had several weeks to survey the scene at Stamford Bridge, where things have been allowed to get out of hand during a disastrous first season in charge for the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium.
So, where now?
Pochettino will take the summer to assess Chelsea's bloated squad and come up with a plan to take them forward and far away from a 12th-placed finish, but who should he keep around and who should he get rid of?
We asked our team to play Managing: Chelsea.
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Matt Maltby
Where to start? Firstly, I'd prioritise selling players who clearly aren't part of the long-term plan. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raheem Sterling, Conor Gallagher, Hakim Ziyech, Kalidou Koulibaly and Christian Pulisic will be the first to go. Not that we're short of money, but without any European football, we've got to be smart with our strategy; and selling those players will hopefully add at least £150million to the transfer warchest.
There's plenty of others who need to go too, including Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Ethan Ampadu, Armando Broja and Edouard Mendy.
I'd then crack on with persuading the unsettled players to stay; beginning with Mason Mount.
The boyhood Blue should be among the top earners, and he'll be duly rewarded with a new contract. Romelu Lukaku will be getting an arm around his shoulder too; the Belgian is among the best goalscorers on his day and replacing him on the cheap is no easy task.
Romelu Lukaku is set to return to Chelsea after his loan spell (Antonio Calanni/AP/REX/Shutterstock)He'll get the pre-season to prove his worth, otherwise it'll have to be Plan B (more of that below).
Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante also need to stay; I can't guarantee them both regular football all season but their experience is great for the dressing room.
And, finally, the million dollar question; who to bring in?
We're desperate for a new goalkeeper, so I'd be straight on the phone to the agents of Brentford's David Raya or Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel. I'd also also see if there was any interest on Wilfried Zaha coming in on a free transfer, while I'd be keen on bringing a young striker in who we can build the team around in years to come.
Top of my list is Rasmus Hojlund at Atalanta. If Lukaku struggles in pre-season, then we'll go all out to bring in Victor Osimhen from Napoli. Should be a quiet summer, eh?
Jennifer Brown
It's no secret that Mauricio Pochettino has a huge task on his hands to get Chelsea back to where they expect to be. With 33 senior players on the books - his first job will be to trim the squad to something that resembles manageable.
First out the door should be Hakim Ziyech who has not offered much on the pitch, and had a failed escape attempt in January. Followed swiftly by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who wants to be back in Barcelona, but will be lucky to find a club. Edouard Mendy, Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek also won't be playing for the boss.
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In terms of signings, the Argentinian manager should do what he can to convince Mason Mount to stay. His workrate and energy level makes him the ideal Poch player. Along with an extended loan or permanent deal for Portuguese superstar Joao Felix who has even managed to impress Gary Neville.
Chelsea will also need to bring an outright number nine - with only four teams scoring fewer goals than them.
Mason Mount has been widely expected to leave Chelsea this summer (AFP via Getty Images)Felix Keith
Chelsea’s situation is so utterly ridiculous that, unlike their rivals, managing them this summer is much more about selling than buying.
The Todd Boehly ownership consortium have splashed the cash with reckless abandon like kids in a sweet shop and now they need some stern parenting. After spending £600million, the over-excitable owners need their pocket money taken away.
The indications that Boehly and co are happy to take a step back and leave Mauricio Pochettino and co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, in charge. They need to enact a firesale. Pochettino famously likes to work with a small squad so they have work to do.
Thiago Silva is one of the more experienced players who could leave (AFP via Getty Images)The good news is they have so many players Pochettino can improve. It’s not all about recruiting new ones. Youth is the order of the day, so build from the back around the likes of Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, Reece James and Ben Chilwell. Thiago Silva has served the club well, but he should be moved on.
Pochettino is reportedly keen to work with N’Golo Kante, but I think his best days are behind him. Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should all be cashed in on along with the long list of loanees.
Somewhere they do need a new player is at centre-forward because Romelu Lukaku is not the answer. This is where the focus should be. Napoli are trying very hard to price Victor Osimhen out of a transfer, so if he’s too expensive (if there’s such a thing for Chelsea), then Goncalo Ramos might be a good alternative.
Will Freeman
Chelsea face a huge task this summer as they seek to overhaul their squad after an unprecedented £600 million spending spree this season.
Mauricio Pochettino arrives with a big reputation, but he has never faced such a task as the Blues’ bloated squad is set to face a mass exodus.
With up to 30 players to work with, Pochettino will likely want to trim that down, with title winners Man City using just 18 regular first-team players.
Some players will leave due to poor performance, whereas others will be sold to ensure that new transfer funds are available.
Pochettino will seek to shake up the Chelsea squad (Darko Vojinovic/AP/REX/Shutterstock)Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic could be two of the players who depart, with both having just a single year left and could recoup large transfer fees.
Other players, such as Kalidou Koulibaly and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will likely also be asked to find new clubs, with their seasons failing to live up to their big-name reputations.
Meanwhile, Edouard Mendy has lost his place as goalkeeper to Kepa Arrizabalaga and could go in search of a starting spot elsewhere.
Chelsea will have to hold on to others, with Mykhaylo Mudryk having penned an eight-and-a-half year contract in January.
Darren Wells
The last thing Chelsea need this summer is another heavy influx of new signings so I'd keep incoming transfers to a minimum. The key for Pochettino will be getting rid of all the hangers on as quickly and painlessly as possible while integrating youth players and the loanees worth keeping.
The likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Hakim Ziyech, Denis Zakaria can all go. I'd add Armando Broja and possibly Conor Gallagher to that as two fringe players who could get decent fees in return. In terms of senior stars, Kalidou Koulibaly hasn't done enough for me, while time is up for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic.
At £40m I'd be lodging a bid for David Raya and letting either Edouard Mendy or Kepa Arrizabalaga leave - or both!
There are several youngsters who can play big roles in the squad, namely Levi Colwill, Lewis Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka.
Levi Colwill impressed on loan at Brighton (Getty Images)But I'd go against the grain and give Romelu Lukaku another chance in attack - at least for a season, with Christopher Nkunku also able to lead the line. I'd do my utmost to keep Mason Mount but that ship may have sailed.
Central midfield needs an upgrade so I'd follow through with plans to sign Manuel Ugarte to replace N'Golo Kante and keep Mateo Kovacic for now. And if the price is right I'd bring back Joao Felix permanently too, but I wouldn't break the bank.
Daniel Orme
Chelsea have a simple task ahead of them - drain the swamp. There’s far too many players at Stamford Bridge not contributing anything.
Obvious candidates for departures are Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Edouard Mendy. The Blues should also cut their losses on Ukrainian wideman Mykhaylo Mudryk.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk star has displayed nothing to suggest that he is worth the £87m fee that Chelsea paid for him in January. It would then be down to finding a club silly enough to pay another huge amount for him - think the ship has sailed with Arsenal on that one unfortunately.
It seems bizarre to suggest that Chelsea need more signings but they really need those who know the league. Youri Tielemans would be an affordable option given he will leave Leicester on a free transfer following their relegation.
The Blues are in dire need of midfield recruits and the Belgian fits the bill very nicely. A new goalkeeper would also go a long way in getting the Blues back on track.
One man that is available is Brentford star David Raya and Chelsea could certainly sign worse this summer.
Mykhaylo Mudryk has struggled since arriving at Chelsea (AFP via Getty Images)Dan Marsh
Given the season Chelsea have had, it's hard to make a case for keeping faith with more than a few key members of the Blues' bloated squad.
It's no surprise to see the club are in the market for a new goalkeeper; neither Kepa Arrizabalaga or Edouard Mendy have convinced but I'd probably bin the former if push came to shove.
Lewis Hall has really impressed me at left wing-back, so I'd cut my losses on Marc Cucurella, too. Kalidou Koulibaly has not coped with the demands of the Premier League and I think there are already better options at the club in his position.
Marc Cucurella hasn't exactly blossomed since joining Chelsea (PA)Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech have failed to impress and if I'm being brutally honest, I don't think Conor Gallagher is good enough for a club looking to challenge for major honours.
In terms of incomings, Chelsea desperately need a goalscorer. Napoli striker Victor Osimhen looks the business and would surely solve that problem.
In terms of a goalkeeper, Inter Milan shot-stopper Andre Onana is one of Europe's best, so signing him is a no-brainer. I'd also raid Crystal Palace for Eberechi Eze to inject a bit of creativity into the Blues' expensively assembled midfield and I'd bring Fikayo Tomori back to Stamford Bridge from AC Milan to help shore things up defensively.
Fraser Watson
For all the multiple mistakes made at Stamford Bridge this past season, trying to compete without a recognised striker was an ill-fated experiment to surely never be repeated.
While £97.5 million man Romelu Lukaku prepares for a Champions League final with loan club Inter Milan, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang essentially at Stamford Bridge in just name alone, Graham Potter’s ploy of fielding multiple midfielders in a central striker roll ultimately contributed to his downfall.
New signing Mykhaylo Mudryk toiled badly, Raheem Sterling’s inconsistency when clean through continues to plague him, and the Champions League winner currently propping up the legacy of Kai Havertz at Chelsea remains an isolated moment of clinical finishing from the German playmaker.
So securing the services of a proven goalscorer is surely the immediate priority for new manager Mauricio Pochetinno and Todd Boehly this summer.
A return for Lukaku seems an obvious choice, but the appointment of the Argentinian also makes it an unlikely one. A striker whose work ethic has going been questioned, working for a manager renowned for demanding one, is a recipe for another underwhelming season in Blue for the Belgian striker.
A speculated return for Tammy Abraham is also unlikely, with the England man struggling to replicate the form of his previous season at Roma. The presence of Pochetinno may be the ticket Chelsea need to make a bid for Harry Kane, given their previous relationship. But should Kane decide to go, persuading him that Chelsea can instantly provide the trophies he craves will be a difficult notion.
So the Blues would be well advised to turn their attention to Victor Osimhen. Quick, strong, athletic, and an elite finisher, the Serie A winner has the potential to transform the side so badly lacking in a player of his attributes.
Victor Osimhen would be a fine addition at centre-forward (Getty Images)Up front is hardly the only area to be addressed though. Thiago Silva’s apparent discontent, and age, seemingly point towards letting him go with the club undoubtedly needing to cut their sizeable squad. N’Golo Kante’s injury problems also leave Pochettino with a decision, with surely the more sensible long-term planning points towards keeping Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher under a manager with a track record for working with young players.
Can Chelsea challenge for major honours next season? Unlikely. A bid for the top four? Much more realistic. But Boehly will now need to show two qualities that have been seemingly desperately lacking in his tenure so far - patience and clear planning.
If Pochettino is given time, and a striker, Chelsea can prosper. But the mess will not be unravelled in one single summer.
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