The positive noises coming out of Stamford Bridge in the last few weeks are increasing the chances of seeing Mauricio Pochettino on the Chelsea bench again next season.
It is no coincidence that in a recent meeting between the board and the Argentine coach, some aspects of the next transfer market began to be debated.
That should be seen as a sign of confidence after the difficult period that Poch endured from the turn of the year, when his position was at serious risk.
Mauricio Pochettino expecting to be on the Chelsea bench next season
From his point of view Pochettino is convinced that he will still be in charge next year and, for this reason, in the last meeting with the board he espoused the need to make some well-targeted purchases to strengthen the squad.
That will only happen after some current players have been sold to allow some headroom for Financial Fair Play, according to CaughtOffside sources with knowledge of Chelsea’s summer transfer plans.
It’s a given that Chelsea will make a big investment in a new striker and Victor Osimhen remains the number one target.
The Nigerian hit-man – whose release clause is €130m – will leave Napoli in the summer and he has a burning ambition to play in the Premier League next year, wearing the Chelsea shirt.
Indeed, Osimhen has already given his informal approval for a possible move to the Blues and only a handful of aspects remain to be discussed – though there is still a lot to do between the clubs to oil the wheels in the deal.
Through intermediaries, Chelsea are trying to understand the margins of negotiation with Napoli and they are also planning a round of meetings with the Italian club to discuss the economic details of the transfer, including the possibility of a players-plus-cash deal to lower the cost of the operation.
PSG, another club that are known to be interested in Osimhen, have not yet made any concrete contacts with his entourage, but in any event, he prefers a move to the Premier League over other leagues.
