Why Mauricio Pochettino may be annoyed at Chelsea signing Granit Xhaka

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Mauricio Pochettino managed under some very strict policies during his time at Chelsea, but the times are changing.

During his time at Chelsea, Mauricio Pochettino was undermined by a lack of authority in the transfer market. Working under the club’s strict rules, the Argentine admitted he was blindsided, having only personally signed off on the arrivals of Cole Palmer and Axel Disasi.

And what didn’t help was the fact that fourteen pre-arranged, expensive but raw young prospects joined Chelsea at the time, which left Pochettino struggling to balance his squad.

He isn’t the first and probably won’t be the last Chelsea manager that suffers at the hands of the owners.

The rules that Chelsea laid down to Mauricio Pochettino

Believe it or not, Mauricio Pochettino was blocked from signing James Maddison because he was ‘too old’ at the age of 26, among other options, as Chelsea’s policy was to only sign U25s.

Now Alonso is getting a hand-picked 33-year-old in the form of Granit Xhaka, with Chelsea lining up another bid for the Sunderland man.

There surely must be an element of frustration on Pochettino’s part that he was so hamstrung and Alonso is being given what he wants.

Mauricio Pochettino has every right to feel aggrieved by Chelsea’s pivot under Xabi Alonso.

He consistently argued that a successful team requires an injection of veteran leadership to balance the squad, once stating:

“You need to bring some experienced players to help the young guys. It’s about balance.”

Yet, his pleas for proven Premier League experience were blocked by a board obsessed with resale value.

Fast forward to the arrival of Xabi Alonso, and ownership has instantly compromised those guidelines.

Mauricio Pochettino wasn’t the only manager to suffer

Pochettino’s struggles with the new Chelsea owners reflect a long-standing pattern at Stamford Bridge.

Thomas Tuchel was dismissed in 2022 after clashing with the new owners over their heavy involvement in transfers and his reluctance to act as a so-called head of department. His successor, Graham Potter, quickly found himself overwhelmed by the board’s strategy, later admitting that a chaotic, £300 million January influx left his squad so bloated that some players had to sit on the floor in team meetings.

Enzo Maresca similarly voiced frustration over the sporting directors’ player-trading model.