Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment as Chelsea’s new manager is all but assured thanks to a contract. Graham Potter, who was fired as head coach of Stamford Bridge, will be replaced as permanent head coach by the former manager of Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.
In the later stages of the 2022–23 season, Frank Lampard served as manager for a second time after Potter was fired. But as Lampard struggles to turn around the team’s woes, things have not gone as planned for the Blues great.
For the Blues, the only thing left on the line in their final three Premier League games is dignity. However, the team may be competing for their futures under a new boss.
When he takes over in the summer, Pochettino will be keeping an eye on who can adapt to his new system and who he might need to replace in the starting lineup.
In the previous two transfer windows, Todd Boehly supported Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel, and Pochettino will anticipate having money at his disposal. The amount of the budget for him is still up in the air.
But how many hires is the former Spurs head coach going to need? The real query is that. Given the hundreds of millions of dollars previously spent under Boehly, there must be some assumption that the players already on the team are enough.
Pochettino was known to use a 4-2-3-1 formation while at Spurs, and he also employed a 4-3-3 at Paris Saint-Germain, where he had access to attacking players of the calibre of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi. What about Chelsea, then?
There are undoubtedly enough players good enough to step directly into the starting lineup without the need for transfers if he prefers the 4-2-3-1 strategy.
You would think that a backline consisting of Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Wesley Fofana, and Reece James—when healthy—would be sufficient to help Chelsea challenge for the league title. With Benoit Badiashile added, you have a starting backline deserving of the very top of the standings.
Enzo Fernandez and N’Golo Kante, if he stays, are two midfielders who suit the bill. Mateo Kovacic, if he stays as well, is also equipped to fill that position.
In front of them If Mason Mount stays (this is a recurring issue), Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk have the skills to be the two best players in the field behind a central striker. In addition to Christopher Nkunku, the recent addition from RB Leipzig, Joao Felix, Kai Havertz, and Christopher Nkunku might all fit into those positions if they were to join on a permanent basis.
The players mentioned above are more than capable of switching back to a 4-3-3, and they could also play in a 3-5-2.
There are now huge gaps at both ends of the pitch. Two enormous roles that need to be filled.
Boehly will need to pull out his wallet once more since strikers are expensive; just look at Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen. Goalkeepers are also not cheap, as evidenced by the £71 million Chelsea spent on Kepa Arrizabalaga. While he shouldn’t be written off, Arrizabalaga likely has to be upgraded if Chelsea is serious about competing for the Premier League title under Pochettino. Among the candidates under consideration are David Raya and Andre Onana.
To upgrade the starting XI this summer, two moves does not seem like a lot. However, Pochettino may require more to develop the depth of strength that he will demand. Under a head coach who also wants to develop young players, kids like Levi Colwill, Conor Gallagher, and Armando Broja will undoubtedly become more prominent.