Chelsea fans have finally been introduced to their new manager, Mauricio Pochettino, nearly two months after Graham Potter’s departure. Pochettino arrives with a wealth of Premier League experience from his previous roles at Southampton and Tottenham, as well as his most recent stint at Paris Saint-Germain where he won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France. Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League this season and are looking for success next term. Pochettino is expected to make changes to the team, with talkSPORT reporting that five academy graduates could be sold.
Pochettino has previously used a 4-2-3-1 formation, which could be implemented at Stamford Bridge. The new manager is said to be eyeing three key signings this summer, including a new goalkeeper. Inter Milan’s Andre Onana is one target that has been linked with a move to Chelsea. Ben Chilwell is expected to remain as the club’s key starter in the left-back position, while Thiago Silva and Wesley Fofana could form a mix of experience and youth at centre-back.
Reece James is set to remain at right-back, with competition from Malo Gusto who returns from his loan at Lyon in the summer. In midfield, Enzo Fernandez has been impressive since his £106.8million move from Benfica and could play alongside a new midfielder such as Sporting Lisbon’s Manuel Ugarte. Ahead of the midfield two will be a line of three attackers, with Kai Havertz potentially playing in the no.10 position. Victor Osimhen could be a crucial piece in the puzzle as a new striker, but his current club Napoli reportedly set a £125million asking price ahead of the summer.