A new era at Chelsea is almost upon us and it is a very exciting one.
Mauricio Pochettino will officially begin his role as the club's first-team head coach on July 1 after agreeing a deal last month. There are high expectations of the Argentine at Chelsea, not just from the supporters, who were deprived of much joy in the 2022/23 season, but from the club as well.
However, it will take time. Chelsea, unfortunately, are not an overnight fix and there is so much for Pochettino and his backroom staff to fix at the club. The upcoming summer transfer window, that officially opens on Wednesday, June 14, is expected to prove a significant one for the club.
Chelsea are set – to try, at least – to offload 10-plus players over the course of the summer in what will be a massive squad revamp. Not only this, but the club are expected to try and sign a new goalkeeper, central midfielder and striker in order to provide Pochettino with the best-possible squad in time for his debut season at Stamford Bridge.
It's set to be a really busy transfer window at Chelsea, in terms of incomings and outgoings, and it is very difficult to predict what will happen over the next few months, such is the uncertainty of these periods. football.london's Bobby Vincent and Scott Trotter have given it a good go, though, in our new series called 'Predicting Mauricio Pochettino'. Let us know your thoughts on our predictions in the comment section below...
Bobby Vincent
For me, a new goalkeeper is a must. After seeing Andre Onana and the way he conducted himself in the Champions League final at the weekend, it's hard to look past him. The way he carries the ball at his feet before finding a progressive pass, it's what Chelsea need.
READ MORE: Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All of the latest updates coming out of Stamford Bridge
I think at centre-back, Chelsea are well equipped, especially with the returning Levi Colwill. Despite Brighton's interest in signing the 20-year-old permanently, the Blues are adamant they won't sell Colwill and want to tie him down to a new long-term contract. That has to happen.
I'd like to see another signing or two in the centre of midfield, especially with all of those expected to be leaving this summer. It's probably the right time for Ruben Loftus-Cheek to leave, N'Golo Kante looks like he's going and Conor Gallagher could follow suit as well with interest from the Premier League.
Moises Caicedo of Brighton is very much on Chelsea's radar and while talk over his future has gone fairly quiet in recent days, football.london still expects the club to push forward with a move for the Ecuador international this summer. Romeo Lavia is another option for Chelsea after watching him thoroughly last season. Those two together would add a lot of energy and defensive awareness to Chelsea's rather weak midfield at the moment.
Another striker is being targeted as well. In an ideal world, Chelsea would sign Victor Osimhen. Now, that might prove difficult, with a queue of clubs, who boast Champions League football, interested in the Napoli striker. But if Chelsea can find a way to convince him and Napoli, who are notoriously stubborn when it comes to selling their own players, then that could be the deal of the summer transfer window.
Scott Trotter
It's a pivotal summer for Chelsea and Pochettino will be at the centre of things. The Blues have held on to a disillusioned squad for too long and with a glut of changes still required after 12 months of big spending the club will have to be ruthless.
If Chelsea's hierarchy can quickly take advantage of interest from Saudi Arabia to lighten their financial burden and the size of the squad Pochettino has to be manage, that will be a major step forward for the club. Especially to offload players to teams that are not their rivals. The speed at which Chelsea can part ways with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku will be a major test.
Caicedo is obviously a priority for the Blues and Pochettino's own appeal may come into question given the midfielder's preference for Champions League football. If Chelsea can navigate Brighton negotiations more efficiently than Arsenal, Pochettino's charisma could prove critical in persuading the Ecuador international. Likewise, if Chelsea do not part ways with Mason Mount, his relationship with Pochettino will need to blossom to revive chances of a contract extension.
Conor Gallagher could prove important too. While football.london understands there is an expectation the midfielder will leave, it would be easy to see the Cobham product as a key tool for Pochettino for setting the standard in pre-season in a changing environment.
Chelsea will hope to add a goalkeeper and striker for the new boss too. Pochettino has often had a figure to rely upon for scoring goals which the Blues do not yet hold. A scenario where Armando Broja is handed an opportunity after returning to fitness is no farfetched, but the addition of Onana or similar calibre goalkeeper could prove crucial.
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