Mauricio Pochettino, who is headed to Chelsea, is reportedly interested in keeping two midfielders and has “identified four favourites for the new era” at Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino, the former head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, is expected to succeed Frank Lampard last month, it was revealed at the end of last week.
Since leaving PSG last year, Pochettino has been jobless, but the Chelsea board chose him over Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann.
Despite spending close to £600 million on new players this season, Chelsea is currently 11th in the Premier League, giving the ex-Spurs manager a difficult task.
Pochettino ‘wants to build his Chelsea squad around a core of homegrown players’, according to a report from The Evening Standard.
He has “identified players who could be instrumental to his project,” including centre back Levi Colwill, who is scheduled to return to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, midfielders Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount, and fullback Reece James.
The £45 million-plus Gallagher was linked to Newcastle United in January, and Chelsea reportedly ‘were open to offers’ to sign him.
Mount’s contract expires in 2024, and Chelsea is seeking £70 million for the England international this summer.
Gallagher “wants to stay at Chelsea under a manager who trusts him,” according to Pochettino, who will “recommend offering Mount a new deal.”
Pochettino, despite this, is “interested in signing a new midfielder” and “prioritising a custodian and striker in the summer.” It continues.
Under the new UEFA FFP regulations, selling some homegrown stars would be considered pure profit, making it simpler for the club to balance its books.
Although the club could still raise money by offloading Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, among others, Pochettino’s desire to replicate what he did at Spurs by basing his squad on a group of talented, homegrown stars may prompt a different approach to the window.
Pochettino wants to give each player in the squad a fresh start and a chance to shine, but the club is under pressure to sell players by June 30 in order to include the sales in their 2022–23 financial statements. Therefore, the new head coach might need to decide quickly which players he is willing to let go in the upcoming six weeks.
