Chelsea make final Mauricio Pochettino sack decision as needless £30m transfer possible
Chelsea will only have two weeks to complete their transfers before the June 30 soft deadline for profitability and sustainability rules (PSRs). The Premier League confirmed the dates for the summer window and it leaves very little time to get deals done in order for them to count towards the 2023/24 books.
Having spent so lavishly for most of the last two years, Chelsea are expected to have to make some big sales before that cutoff in order to comply. For Mauricio Pochettino and his side it adds another layer of interest into an already packed summer.
The European Championships add a big complication for players and clubs involved whilst the sporting threat of possible sanctions looms in the background if thresholds aren't met. It leaves the window and clubs in a precarious and strange position.
With this in mind, football.london analyses the latest headlines and stories around the club. First up, not a transfer but still a big decision yet to be made.
Mauricio Pochettino future decision
Pochettino has the faith of Chelsea's hierarchy heading into the final game of the season with key figures said to be very much in support of him. The 52-year-old will be part of a two-way assessment next week following the culmination of his first year in charge.
The head coach has made it clear in recent weeks that things aren't as simple as is made out following suggestions that the owners could dismiss him should the club fail to qualify for Europe. He hit back, saying that he and the coaching team could move on themselves if certain things don't change.
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It is reported that impressive recent form and Pochettino's management of a tricky 12 months at the helm has left him in a strong position though. An exit is no longer feeling as inevitable as it had done at stages.
football.london says: In some quarters it now feels more likely that Pochettino leaves of his own accord rather than being sacked. That itself doesn't appear too probable though with things really turning in the last few weeks.
Pochettino has earned the benefit of the doubt with recent performances and really, any thought of a change would be pretty remarkable given how things look to play out. Chelsea could yet finish fifth in the league, the only position that secures Europa League football before the FA Cup final, and have been one of the form teams in the country in 2024.
Managing in a far-from-ideal set of circumstances, Pochettino has steadied the ship in a way that many didn't see coming. Supporting him now and reducing the level of instability would surely be sensible, especially if they can offer him certain assurances in the transfer market.
Summertime Summerville madness
Chelsea could turn to Leeds United attacker Crysencio Summerville as a cheap attacking option this summer if Daniel Farke's side fail to get promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs. The 22-year-old scored 19 times with nine assists in 43 regular season games and was one of the bright sparks in their relegation campaign too.
Leeds could be forced to sell players in order to meet EFL financial rules should they not return to the top flight, and Summerville is one of the standout players at Elland Road. It is said that the Dutchman is seen as one of the more likely names to go in this scenario but would command over £30million.
football.london says: Shopping in the Championship is always a good sign. There are some wonderful players ready to step up to the big time and usually for lower prices. Look at the development of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, and Adam Wharton. That's only at Crystal Palace.
Bournemouth have used the EFL well too with former Bristol City trio Alex Scott, Lloyd Kelly, and Antoine Semenyo all impressing. Chelsea themselves have benefited from the Championship via loans in recent years for Mason Mount, Reece James, Conor Gallagher, and Trevoh Chalobah (not to mention a stream of others).
But Summerville feels a bit unnecessary in this environment. Even as a promising and exciting winger, it's not exactly something the Blues currently lack. Maybe not trying for him at this stage will look like bad business, but that cannot be the driving force behind a transfer.