Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Blues eyeing Nico Williams, club not planning Mauricio Pochettino exit, and more - April 9, 2024
Chelsea have struggled to impress this season and are currently ninth in the Premier League table after 30 games. The London giants next face Everton at Stamford Bridge in the league on Monday, April 15.
Meanwhile, the Blues are interested in Nico Williams. Elsewhere, Mauricio Pochettino's future hasn't been decided yet.
On that note, let's take a look at the major Chelsea transfer stories from April 9, 2024.
Chelsea eyeing Nico Williams
Chelsea are working to sign Nico Williams this summer, according to Football Insider. Mauricio Pochettino remains eager to add more firepower to his squad following the struggles of Raheem Sterling and company. Despite investing a fortune in the squad, the London giants have an underwhelming record in the final third this season. They are looking for solutions in the market and have identified Williams as one of their top targets this year.
The 21-year-old only signed a new deal with Athletic Bilbao last December, but that hasn't stopped speculation regarding his future. Williams has registered six goals and 14 assists from 30 games across competitions this season. His new contract with the Basque club runs until 2027.
Blues not planning Mauricio Pochettino exit, says journalist
Chelsea are willing to afford Mauricio Pochettino time to get his act together at Stamford Bridge, according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs. The Argentinean manager has failed to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge since taking charge last summer. The Blues could seek a managerial change at the end of this season and are already linked with a few candidates for the job.
However, in his column for Caught Offside, Jacobs insisted that the club owners want to judge the team's performance next season before making a decision.
“I understand Chelsea’s owners are in a four-window plan, and this summer is the last of it. They feel the squad is better judged next season. This is why the goal is to appraise Pochettino in the off-season and why the club are ‘succession planning’ rather than actively interviewing names," Jacobs wrote.
He continued:
“We have seen how the owners react to results, but the aim has always been to wait until the end of the season. It still wouldn’t surprise me if Pochettino is given next season to try and turn things around making the first ten games extremely important.”
Pochettino's team have won 12 and lost 10 of their 30 games in the Premier League this season.
Mauricio Pochettino laments team's lack of maturity
Mauricio Pochettino has questioned his team's mentality following the 2-2 draw against Sheffield United on Sunday, April 7. Chelsea came into the game, buoyed by their 4-3 win over Manchester United last week. However, they failed to build on that momentum against the Blades, conceding an injury-time equalizer.
Speaking after the game, the Argentine manager refused to lay the blame for his team's poor performance on tiredness.
“Of course they were tired. But that is not an excuse today to not win the game in the end. They can be tired, of course, that is why we have an unbelievable training centre to provide everything," Pochettino said (via LondonWorld).
He continued:
"But then it's about to be competitive and maybe I repeat too much but watching football like us, 52 years old, you identify really quick whether the team is ready to compete or not. Maybe this group is not mature enough to compete in games every three days.”
The Blues cannot afford to drop points when they face Everton next week.