Chelsea are reportedly close to ending their search for a new manager, with former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino set to take charge next season. 

The Blues are tipped to announce their impending managerial appointment in the ‘next few days,’ after finally deciding on a long-term replacement for Graham Potter.

Frank Lampard has been at the helm since April and lost his first six games in charge. Now, the Chelsea icon is expected to be succeeded by Pochettino, who is believed to be Todd Boehly’s first choice.

Lampard finally ended his dismal start to his caretaker stint after the Blues beat Bournemouth 3-1 on Sunday. Still, he still holds the record for the worst start of any Chelsea manager in the club’s history.

In fairness, though, he can’t really take the blame. Chelsea have gone through three managers this season, and have been left with an oversized squad thanks to Boehly splurging almost £600m on signings this term.

Indeed, the London club now sit in a disappointing 11th place in the Premier League table – on track for their worst season since 1996.

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Chelsea managerial announcement ‘imminent’

Now, according to reputed journalist David Ornstein, Chelsea are set to complete the process of selecting their new manager ‘in the coming days.’

As noted by TEAMtalk, Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique have been strongly considered by the Blues hierarchy. But now, Pochettino is set to be announced as Lampard’s successor.

This comes 12 months after Pochettino was sacked as Paris Saint-Germain manager. At the French club, the Argentine fell short of winning the Champions League – which seems to be the minimum requirement at PSG.

However, at Tottenham, Pochettino was much more successful. In a five-year stint, he guided Spurs to four top-four finishes. In fact, they came close to winning the Premier League title in the 2016/17 season.

The coach also helped Tottenham reach a Champions League final in 2019, which they lost to Liverpool. No manager has repeated the same level of success at Spurs since.

Indeed, Pochettino has demonstrated he can be successful in the Premier League. He is also characterised by his attacking style, which should go down well with the Stamford Bridge faithful.

He will be charged with reasserting Chelsea’s spot at the top of the table. But, as mentioned, it won’t be an easy task.

The Blues will be forced to offload several players this summer, as they look to balance the books after spending heavily this term. Although, Pochettino will no doubt be looking to make some additions, too.

Indeed, Chelsea’s squad could look different next season. So, it makes sense for Boehly to get a new appointment sorted as quickly as possible. For now, though, Lampard will remain in charge for Chelsea’s four remaining matches.

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