Mauricio Pochettino is yet to officially start work as Chelsea boss but is already having a massive impact on the club. His announcement as the new head coach from July 1 was finally confirmed this week but this is far from the full story.
The 51-year-old has had nearly one month of close talks with the club after agreeing to become the new boss and transfer ins and outs are just a small part of discussions that will have been smoothed over heading into a summer as important as any in recent history.
Chelsea require major surgery to their squad, more outs than ins, and there are plenty of questions left hanging over the bloated group of players after the season finally ended. They are issues that have been clear for a long time but until the third permanent head coach in 12 months was decided, little could be done.
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Things have now started well for the Argentine and they're happening quickly. The Blues are in two different races against time to get their business done and if the first 24 hours is anything to go by, they're keen to wrap deals and decisions up quickly.
With June 30 being a soft deadline day for the club to record transfers on the books, there is one month to clear as much of the unwanted group out as possible to maximise the accounting figures. There is also the pre-season tour of America.
Pochettino is a firm believer in creating a close-knit collective with his players and has shown his ruthless side by leaving Tottenham stars in an effective bomb-squad during the summer in order to focus on work with those he sees as part of his plans. At Chelsea this could see as many as 10 players left behind before the first game in America on July 18.
One player that has played a role in the past five months is already on the way out. Joao Felix, who played his last game as part of a six-month loan on Sunday, will not be remaining at the club past this summer. His £11m temporary move from Atletico Madrid has ended with no fresh deal between the parties on the horizon.
Atlético president Enrique Cerezo said: “We have been informed that Poch does not count with João Félix for Chelsea. He will return here, we’ll see, we’ve nothing planned."
Felix only signed a new long-term deal in Madrid earlier this year and has his eyes set on Champions League football. Chelsea, on the other hand, are drowning in attacking options with little space to fit them all in. They also aren't in a position to sanction a move for anywhere near the £111m Atletico spent on Felix on 2019. They are keen to get as much back from that as possible.
Although the player is happy in London and showed glimpses of his talent, scoring four times in all competitions, there is too much uncertainty in the frontline with players needing to leave before more additions can be made. This is especially true when considering that Romelu Lukaku is set to return and potential add yet another option in the central areas.
Felix, although preferring to play behind a striker, has been acting as a No.9 like Kai Havertz for his time at SW6. Even with Lukaku to play off, signing him is just another player causing a headache. Plus, Chelsea have a man similar in style already on the way in.
Christopher Nkunku is set to join up with the Blues after his season at RB Leipzig is finished. The Frenchman, despite injuries, finished as the top scorer in Bundesliga this year and likes to occupy similar spaces off a striker. His £52m deal is yet to be announced but is simply not far away from being official.
Pochettino has him to rely on heading into next season and adding Felix to the already vast selection of options isn't a first move that shows clarity of thinking. Here, with one choice made swiftly, it is one less thing to think about and yet more proof that the Pochettino era is underway.
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