Mauricio Pochettino will have a lot of decisions to make with the Chelsea squad if he becomes the next Chelsea manager.
The widespread speculation in the media is that Mauricio Pochettino, 51, could be the next permanent Blues head coach.
According to The Daily Mail, Chelsea have had ‘incredibly positive’ talks with Pochettino and he is expected to take charge at Stamford Bridge.
The club’s next manager does have quite the mess to clean up with such a ridiculously oversized squad, which is before you even factor in the players returning this summer from loan spells.
Romelu Lukaku, who’s currently on loan at Inter Milan, is a high-profile individual scheduled back at the Bridge in the summer.
What will Pochettino want to do with the 29-year-old striker, though?
Journalist Simon Phillips has reported on his Substack that Chelsea would prefer not to have Lukaku back at the club next season. However, he’s shared Pochettino’s stance on the Belgium international.
Apparently, the Argentine manager hasn’t directly asked Chelsea about using Lukaku, but it’s not completely out of the question
Phillips wrote on his Substack: “I am told that Mauricio Pochettino has not actively asked for Lukaku to come back, but it is also something that he would not be closed about.”
Chelsea are crying out for a No.9 to score regular goals next season, something that the next manager will surely be searching for.
A change of management does offer a blank canvas for players at Stamford Bridge, but it feels a long way back for Lukaku in West London.
Calciomercato claims that Chelsea could look to include Lukaku in a player-plus-cash deal to sign Joao Felix on a permanent deal from Atletico Madrid.
We feel his exit this summer could be best for all parties.