Journalist makes Mauricio Pochettino to Real Madrid claim as Chelsea delay appointment

Add as preferred source on Google

Chelsea have been ‘close’ to appointing Mauricio Pochettino for a few days now, but a deal has not been completed yet – Real Madrid could now take advantage of that.

The West Londoners are in a mess right now. They sacked Graham Potter and brought in Frank Lampard until the end of the season, but the Blues legend is yet to win a game in the Premier League.

Mauricio Pochettino is the man expected to come in for next season, but Chelsea are moving at a snail’s pace, and that may open the door for Real Madrid to lure him away, writes Miguel Delaney in his Reading The Game newsletter.

Chelsea-linked Mauricio Pochettino is Real Madrid’s top managerial target

Mauricio Pochettino has been heavily linked with the Chelsea job for weeks now.

A deal has even looked imminent for a while, but the Blues just haven’t been able to wrap it up despite ongoing talks with the Argentine, who has been without a job since leaving PSG.

Chelsea are still the favourites to appoint Pochettino, but their delay could really cost them.

Carlo Ancelotti is the manager of Real Madrid at the moment, but his future is up in the air. He has been linked with the Brazil job in the summer, while if he fails to win the Champions League this season, there’s a chance he could be sacked.

Miguel Delaney has claimed that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez’s top target for the hot seat at the Santiago Bernabeu, if Ancelotti’s time comes to an end, is Pochettino.

The journalist claims that the deal with Chelsea is close, but it’s not closed yet, which gives Real Madrid a window of opportunity to lure him away.

Delaney wrote: “Chelsea may have been knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid, and won’t be returning to the competition next season, but their hierarchy should perhaps watch this week’s ties with interest.

“If Madrid go out, Carlo Ancelotti may well be let go this summer, and Florentino Perez’s top choice right now is Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine’s deal with Chelsea is “close” but not yet closed. The Stamford Bridge hierarchy want to take their time on this but urgency might soon become an issue.”

TBR View:

If Chelsea miss out on Pochettino to Real Madrid after being so close to appointing him, they could end up in an even bigger mess than the one they’re already in.

The Blues are currently 12th in the table after four defeats on the bounce. They’ve won just two of their last 10 games, and although extremely unlikely, there’s still a mathematical chance that they could get relegated.

That is just shocking, and Todd Boehly and co need to get their act together and complete the deal to bring Pochettino to the club as quickly as possible.

If they delay it further, there’s every chance Pochettino will pick Real Madrid over them.