Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali was quizzed by a fan over who the club plan to appoint as their next manager.
Eghbali was spotted by the fan attending the LA Lakers' clash with the Memphis Grizzlies, with fellow co-owner Todd Boehly also pictured at the game. It comes after reports that Chelsea's hierarchy had gathered in Los Angeles to discuss the managerial situation.
Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is the frontrunner to get the job and Eghbali was asked about his potential appointment. In a video that has gone viral on social media, the fan could be heard asking Eghbali: "Who's the next Chelsea manager?"
"Who do you want?" responded Eghbali, with the fan then adding: "I want Luis [Enrique], but you're getting Pochettino right?" To which Eghbali winked, before simply saying: "Maybe, maybe."
Chelsea are currently 11th in the Premier League after a disappointing campaign that has seen them sack both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter. Interim boss Frank Lampard, meanwhile, has failed to win any of his five games in charge so far.
Speaking after Chelsea's latest defeat to Brentford on Wednesday, Lampard admitted: "When I came back I didn't (set) a bar because I understood there would be challenges behind the scenes, and that’s been clear. In a short time frame it’s hard to get that turn, and I haven't got it yet.
"If you're a Chelsea fan, you're used to 20 years of success and you want more. I've no problem with fans booing. I will defend the players because I know they are young players who want to do well."
And Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes Pochettino would be the perfect appointment for Chelsea, admitting he expects the Argentine to "do a very, very good job next season" if he gets the job. "I think he is a really talented coach," Neville said on The Overlap.
"I think Chelsea next year could really surprise us. Pochettino will bring the club together because he will; he's likeable, and the players will respect him enormously. I think he'll do a very, very good job next season.
"He'll cover a lot of the stuff that's going on behind the scenes is my prediction. Those players are perfect for Pochettino; they are talented and young, but they just need direction."
Pochettino has been out of work since last summer when he was sacked by PSG despite guiding them to the Ligue 1 title. Before joining PSG, the 51-year-old spent five full season in charge of Spurs, guiding them to four successive top-four finishes and a Champions League final.
However, he was axed by Tottenham in 2019, paying the price for a series of poor results after the club failed to make significant investment the summer after they reached the Champions League final.
