Reports suggest that Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat in the 2019 Champions League final has put Todd Boehly off appointing Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s new manager.
According to The Times, the club admire his work but have reservations about his ability to deliver at the top level of European football.
It appears Boehly is insistent on hiring Graham Potter as the next man in charge at Stamford Bridge, with him reportedly set to sign a five-year contract with the club after positive discussions yesterday.
The negotiations followed the American’s decision to fire Thomas Tuchel following his 100th game in charge of the club.
The fixture ended in an embarrassing defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, although the reason for the sacking is reportedly not related to matters on the pitch.
Chelsea say no to Pochettino
The relationship had reportedly broken down between Tuchel and Boehly, with them reportedly disagreeing over a number of topics towards the transfer window.
While Potter has been outlined as the favourite to take over, some pundits have claimed that the Blues should be looking towards Pochettino, with his European pedigree and time working with players the calibre of those at Stamford Bridge.
His European highlight is unarguably reaching the Champions League final with Spurs, following a dramatic comeback win against Ajax in the semi-finals.
However, defeat in that game and the nature of how his side were soundly beaten in the final against Liverpool has according to The Times been a factor in Chelsea’s thinking, as they no doubt still want to compete on all four fronts going forward.
While Potter will undoubtedly be making a massive step up, he has shown on a far lower budget that he has been able to play entertaining and effective football in the Premier League, and has the opportunity to elevate his game with better players to work with.
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