There are only minor details to be ironed out before Chelsea are expected to announce Mauricio Pochettino as their next permanent manager in the next few days, according to journalist Julien Laurens.
A recent report from The Telegraph similarly suggested that Pochettino was in the final stages of negotiations with Chelsea for the manager seat.
While Frank Lampard’s appointment as the caretaker manager gives Chelsea time to make their decision, the sooner the hunt for a new manager reaches its conclusion, the sooner they can start preparing for the new season.
This is exactly the plan, according to Laurens, who claims that Pochettino‘s Chelsea move will be official very soon.
“I’m being told it’s only details to be sorted out,” the French journalist told ESPN FC when speaking about Pochettino’s expected Chelsea appointment.
“All the people who were with him in Paris [Saint-Germain] are going to come to Chelsea.
“It’s just those kinds of details to iron out, but he’s already working on the squad and ideas for the next season.
“I expect it to be a matter of days before Pochettino is announced for next season, so Lampard will still finish this season and Pochettino will take over in the summer.”
Many may question why Chelsea do not just put Pochettino in charge as soon as he signs the contract, but there will be arguably very little incentive to rush the transition.
The Argentine would likely still be able to assess the players closely despite not being in the dugout but without the pressure that comes with an immediate takeover.
It would be a different story if Chelsea were still fighting for a top-four spot, of course, but the reality is that after the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, the season was pretty much over for them.
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