Mauricio Pochettino is due to be in London this week to sign the contract that will see him become Chelsea's next permanent head coach, football.london understands.
It was confirmed on Sunday evening that the Argentine had finally reached an agreement with Chelsea to take over the club at the end of the season. After weeks of endless negotiations, with Pochettino representing himself, a deal has now been agreed but a contract is yet to be signed.
That will be done at some point this week, a source has told football.london on Monday morning, with the 51-year-old expected to jet into London to wrap things up. The former Tottenham manager has been out of a job since leaving Paris Saint-Germain last summer. While he has had offers, he's been waiting for the right job to come around and he believes Chelsea is just that.
READ MORE: Mauricio Pochettino Chelsea contract details revealed as deal edges closer to completion
The 2023/24 season is now set to be a very exciting and intriguing one for Chelsea supporters with Pochettino at the helm. The Argentine will get the chance to go head-to-head with some of the Premier League's biggest managers yet again – almost four years after he departed Tottenham.
Pochettino's record against Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola doesn't make for great reading. The pair have gone up against each other 22 times in all competitions, with Pochettino winning four, drawing five and losing 13 of them. However, one of Tottenham's most infamous wins came with Pochettino in the dugout against Guardiola. Spurs and City drew the Champions League quarter-final tie 4-4 on aggregate but the north Londoners progressed on away goals after scoring three at the Etihad Stadium.
His record against Jurgen Klopp makes for even worse reading. The Argentine and the German have gone head-to-head 11 times in all competitions, with the current Liverpool boss winning six of them, drawing four and Pochettino winning just the one match. However, when the two face each other for Chelsea vs Liverpool – things are set to be much different.
The soon-to-be Chelsea head coach has a very strong record against Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe, albeit all of their meetings came when he was in charge at Bournemouth. The pair have met eight times in all competitions, with Pochettino winning six of them, drawing one and losing one.
Against Erik ten Hag, the pair have met twice – and it was of course in that famous 2018/19 Champions League semi-final. Ten Hag's Ajax side came and won at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and then Spurs produced a marvellous comeback to progress on away goals into the final of the competition.
Pochettino, though, has never managed against Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard was appointed as Arsenal boss very shortly after Pochettino was sacked as manager of Tottenham. It's set to be an enthralling tactical battle when the two do finally meet next season.
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