According to a fresh report, Chelsea are looking to replace Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Chelsea eye Mauricio Pochettino replacements
When Pochettino took the reins at Stamford Bridge last summer, big things were expected of the Argentine. The Blues' mammoth spending continued in 2023 with around £500m paid out to sign big names such as Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. However, it is fair to say things have not gone to plan for the west Londoners this term.
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Chelsea lost the League Cup final to a weakened Liverpool side who ended the tie with what was essentially an under-23 team plus Virgil van Dijk. With any hopes of a trophy dashed, Chelsea's focus then turned to the Premier League, where they are eyeing some form of European football after missing out completely last season.
However, given the amount of money spent on the squad in the last several transfer windows, Pochettino and co. have underperformed in this department as well.
Following their win over West Ham, Chelsea sit 7th in the table, meaning they can still secure a Europa League or Europa Conference League spot. However, the fact they are 13 points off the Champions League places clearly has not gone down well with the higher-ups at Stamford Bridge, as Pochettino's days at the club look to be numbered. Reports earlier this week even claimed Chelsea paid for a plane to bring Sporting boss Ruben Amorim to England for talks, which the club denied.
Elsewhere, the Blues were said to be targeting Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Hansi Flick as possible replacements for Pochettino. Somewhat surprisingly, another candidate for the Chelsea job is former boss Antonio Conte. The Italian won the Premier League during his previous stint with the Blues, so it easy to see why the new owners may be interested in him. But Conte is not the only former coach being tipped to make a return to west London.
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ByAlex CapleMay 5, 2025 Chelsea moving for £10.5m-per-season Tuchel
According to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb (via Sport Witness), Chelsea are making a move to bring Thomas Tuchel back to the club to replace Pochettino this summer.
It is unclear if Tuchel, who currently earns £10.5m per season with Bayern Munich, would be interested in returning, though Sport Witness states numerous reports in recent months have hinted the German would love a second chance in the Premier League.
While Chelsea have signed a number of new players since Tuchel's departure, there is still a core group who remain at the club from when he was at the helm. One such player is Ben Chilwell, who previously labelled Tuchel as an "unbelievable manager":
"[Tuchel's continuity] can only be a good thing. As players we have full confidence in the manager – we know we’re not going to get a better manager here. I’m not just saying it. He’s an unbelievable manager in all aspects and I think he has a lot of trust in us as well," Chilwell said.
"This is Chelsea, we want to win the big trophies. And of course, we're positive going into this season, like we are every season. We've got a strong team. Hopefully, we can add to that strength with some good players. We've got a great manager. New ownership. A great training ground. Good backroom staff. So everything's in place to have a good season."
Manager
Tenure
Mauricio Pochettino
2023-present
Graham Potter
2022-2023
Thomas Tuchel
2021-2022
Frank Lampard
2019-2021
Maurizio Sarri
2018-2019
Tuchel won the Champions League during his first spell at the club. Could he repeat that feat under the new ownership? There is clearly more rebuilding to do at Stamford Bridge, but Tuchel may feel he has unfinished business at Chelsea.