Mauricio Pochettino has agreed personal terms with Chelsea and is set to take over at Stamford Bridge in the summer. The former Tottenham boss has warned the club’s hierarchy that it will take two years to fix the Blues and make them title challengers once again. Chelsea have endured their worst campaign for several years, slipping to 11th in the Premier League and closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League places. Given the size of the task facing Pochettino, he is said to be realistic about what he can achieve in his first season at Chelsea and believes he can get Chelsea in better shape by this time next year but reckons it will take two years to ‘guarantee the redirection and recovery’ of the Premier League club.
The new owners have spent almost £600m on transfer signings over the past 12 months but several new additions have struggled and Pochettino will need to trim the squad as well as bring in his new players this summer. Despite the myriad of issues at Stamford Bridge, Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes Pochettino can turn things around at Chelsea. Lampard’s Chelsea drew 2-2 at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday and face Premier League leaders Manchester City next.