Chelsea’s time under Mauricio Pochettino lasted just a season but it is fair to say laid the foundations for the successes the club are having now.
The Argentine was the benefactor of what could go down as one of the best transfer windows in recent years for the Blues, after completely revamping their squad.
The star performer up to now has been Cole Palmer, although Nicolas Jackson also joined in the same window and developed under the Argentine.
The two had a very good relationship, with Jackson not happy at all when Pochettino was sacked after less than 12 months in the job.
The midfield also got an upgrade with the signing of Moises Caicedo, however things very nearly looked very different in the middle of the park for the Blues.
Mauricio Pochettino nearly signed Tyler Adams for Chelsea
It was reported during the summer window of 2023 that the Blues were very interested in the prospect of signing Tyler Adams from Leeds United at the time.
Pochettino, who is now in charge of the midfielder at an international level as United States boss, confirmed it was very much the intention of the club to sign him before injuries intervened.
He said to Goal: “I know very well him because I think it’s public that we wanted to sign him in Chelsea. When we arrived in Chelsea, I remember that in USA, in Chicago, we had a conversation.
“We knew and after, the club didn’t sign him because he was injured. That is why, in the end, we cannot but we already know and we know how important but we need to provide the good platform for him to get [to] his best.”
Adams has struggled with injury problems throughout his career, however when fit and firing he is certainly an asset. He has previously been described as ‘special’ by Jesse Marsch.
Signing Adams could have stopped Chelsea signing Romeo Lavia
While it may not have stopped Chelsea from signing Caicedo that summer, there is every chance a deal for Adams would have put a halt to their efforts to bring in Romeo Lavia.
The Belgian currently sits above Enzo Fernandez in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, and has formed a really strong partnership with the Ecuador international in the middle of the park.
An injury-ravaged debut season put a dent in his progress, but now Lavia looks as if he has a point to prove in West London.
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