WATCH: Chelsea co-owner responds to fan's question on next permanent manager
The anticipation is palpable among the Blues' faithful as Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali hinted at the possibility of Mauricio Pochettino becoming the next permanent manager.
In a recent interaction with a fan, Eghbali playfully teased the decision, saying "Maybe, maybe" when asked if Pochettino was set to take the reins. The co-owner could be seen asking the fan in the video below:
"Who do you want?"
Here's the video:
Chelsea Fans, I got to ask Mr Eghbali himself! Who we are getting as the new coach. Here’s the response. #Chelsea #Pochettino #eghbali #luisEnrinque https://t.co/q5KUPcw9QD
The fan said that former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann was the preferred option before asking, "You're getting Pochettino, right?", to which Eghbali responded, "Maybe."
As reported by The Times (via GOAL), Chelsea's board will gather in Los Angeles on Saturday to make a final decision on whether to appoint the Argentine as their new manager. There seems to have been a split among the hierarchy on hiring Pochettino, but the meeting aims to resolve these differences and extend an offer to the Argentine before the weekend concludes.
Directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have been spearheading the process, backed by co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. However, both parties are said to have other options on the table should the Pochettino deal fall through after several rounds of reported talks.
Chelsea have been linked with Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique, but the potential moves failed to materialise into concrete offers.
Mauricio Pochettino, who first made waves in English football during his tenure at Southampton, has a proven track record in the Premier League. His most significant achievements came during his time at Tottenham, where he led them to a UEFA Champions League runner-up position (2019).
Gallas urges Boehly to rethink transfer strategy, allow next Chelsea manager input
William Gallas has called on co-owner Todd Boehly to let the club's management team, along with the incoming manager, devise a comprehensive transfer strategy. Boehly, an American billionaire, appointed himself as interim sporting director after the takeover and has since spent over £250 million on new signings.
Speaking with The Games Cabin, Gallas expressed his concerns about Boehly's heavy involvement in day-to-day operations. The former Chelsea star emphasised the importance of a well-thought-out strategy and wondered whether the recently sacked Graham Potter had any say in the signings (via Football London):
"The players in the squad have a lot of quality, but I believe the problem is that the owner didn’t have a strategy. The club just buys and buys players. I don’t even know if Graham Potter wanted to sign those players either.
"It just looked as if the owner and his staff were deciding who to sign for Chelsea. They’re Americans, and they’ve got experience in the sport of baseball. Football is completely different from baseball."
The Blues return to action at leaders Arsenal on Tuesday (May 2).