Chelsea have shifted their attention from Julian Nagelsman and Luis Enrique towards a more familiar name for Premier League viewers. Having been interviewed by the club in September following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as the new favourite for the job.
The ex-Spurs boss is yet to re-enter management having been dismissed by Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season and has had over nine months out of action. That may be about to change soon though with the Argentine moving to the top of the list to become the next head coach at Stamford Bridge.
35-year-old Nagelsmann had been the clear front-runner since Graham Potter's departure but talks have since broken down. It has opened the door to a return to London and England for Pochettino, who was one of just two people discussed by Todd Boehly and Behdad Egbahli earlier this season.
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Spurs fans may hope that his time in North London would stop him from becoming manager of a rival but Pochettino admitted during his time in charge at White Hart Lane that it wasn't that simple. Speaking about his managerial philopsophy when it comes to new clubs during his final months at Spurs, he said: "I am so clear. I am never going to be manager of Barcelona or Arsenal because I am so identified with Tottenham and Espanyol.
"It’s not down to me. Always I work like I want to be here for the rest of my life. That is my responsibility, how I take my job.
"The way I work is like thinking I’m going to stay forever in the same club. It’s the best way to commit to your job. But I am realistic and today you look in England from the beginning of the season and today in six, seven months, there are many changes on the Premier League benches.
"Then it’s not only you. It’s about the results, the ideas, it’s the chairman, he can change, the chairman and say 'come on, out'."
That has been the way at Chelsea for years but the new ownership want to build something more sustainable, moving away from the hire and fire approach. Having sacked two coaches in 10 months in charge it is hard to see such evidence on the field yet. Pochettino's appointment would be another move towards this though after he spent five and a half years at Spurs.
"I grew up at Newell’s Old Boys and will never manage Rosario Central," he continued. "That is my decision because I prefer to work on my farm in Argentina than in some places.
"But in the end, it is like the players, you never know what is going to happen in football. It is a lot of rumours about this, about that. Tomorrow Daniel [Levy] could have a bad night and say, ‘Oh I am going to sack Mauricio.’ And then I look stupid saying I am not going to work in one place or another or another."
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