Chelsea have taken a big step in appointing their next permanent manager by agreeing a deal to bring Mauricio Pochettino to the club, football.london understands.
The Argentine is set to take over at the end of the season following a series of positive talks with the club. It will be the first time he has managed in the Premier League since leaving Tottenham in 2019.
Pochettino will endeavour in a full pre-season at Cobham ahead of his first season in SW6, giving him time in advance to plan for next campaign.
READ MORE: Chelsea make major Mauricio Pochettino breakthrough as deal agreed for new manager
The former Paris Saint-Germain boss will already have an idea of what players he will want to use at Chelsea and who he will want to sell on. Todd Boehly's mass spending in the last year has equipped the club with the potential to return to the top of English football, but many players are expected to leave.
The curious case of Mason Mount remains an unsolved task, as is the case with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech. Yet possibly the most uncertain future at Chelsea is the one of Christian Pulisic.
The USMNT star has been linked with a move away from England for some time now having struggled for regular minutes this season. AC Milan, Napoli and Newcastle have all been linked with the forward, with his services due to be highly contested this summer ahead of the expiry of his contract in 12 months.
"Christian, over the years, you could see how he got more and more mature, how he took more and more responsibility onto himself on the field and off the field," former USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said last year.
"He has a lot of character and a lot of personality. What he went through, starting at 17, is just wonderful. It's wonderful and he's still by far not there yet. He's just able to get better and he will become even more of a leader."
Pulisic's development has stagnated in recent years. But fresh ideas in the Stamford Bridge dug-out under Pochettino could see the American flourish into the leader for Chelsea.
The ex-Spurs boss has previous in working with large squads and has worked sincere magic with individuals in his previous spells in management. "Players never want to be told the truth. And from my perspective, it's never easy when you have to tell a player that they're wrong," he wrote on The Athletic.
"Because if you rush a player, when they’re not ready, their performances will not be at the right level and that is a risk," Pochettino added.
"When you do put them in, you have to support them to play every single game, to get the experience and to feel the confidence that even if they make a mistake you will still support them. In September 2014, we did not think Harry (Kane) was ready just yet.
"But me and my coaching staff, we love to work with young players. We love to work to try to discover what exactly they need to improve to reach the top. And I don’t want to sound arrogant by saying this, but I do think that as a coaching staff, me and my team have the ability to detect those innate qualities and to see their potential as players."
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