The deal has been approved, and the contract will be signed in the coming days

[ad_1]

Mauricio Pochettino has agreed terms to become Chelsea’s new manager and will take over in pre-season this summer after what was the club’s worst league season in 20 years.

And Telegraph Sport revealed that the deal was agreed just hours after interim coach Frank Lampard’s side failed to win at Stamford Bridge against Nottingham Forest, the club with the worst record in the Premier League.

The former Tottenham Hotspur boss was not at the match and it is understood he is currently out of Britain. His family’s base remains in London, although since leaving Tottenham in November 2019 he has coached in Paris and has a home in Barcelona where he has spent most of his footballing career.

The Argentine has spent his time agreeing terms with the consortium that owns Chelsea, led by private equity investors Todd Bohle and Brad Eghbali. The club have spent around £600m on players since their takeover 12 months ago, during which time they sacked Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter. It is expected that the club will have to invest in a new striker and a new goalkeeper. Edouard Mendy returned to the side in place of Kepa Arrizabalaga, to face Jungle, one of five changes.

Pochettino’s loyal crew of Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino, Tony Jimenez and his son Sebastiano are expected to join him at Chelsea.

Chelsea have three games left this season – away to Manchester City and Manchester United – and then back at Stamford Bridge in the final against Newcastle United. Pochettino is not expected to attend any of them and Lampard will remain in charge until the end of the season.

Pochettino never succumbed to an offer from Tottenham to go back there. His former club is also looking for a new manager.

Lampard bemoaned his Chelsea side’s lack of killer instinct against Forest. Under his leadership, Chelsea have now picked up just four points from their six Premier League matches in charge, having taken the lead in the second half through two goals from Raheem Sterling. There were also two for Forest striker Taiwo Owonyi for the away team, who made the most of set pieces and long throws.

There has been a promising performance – after a nervous start – in the left-back position of teenager Lewis Hall, suggesting Lampard is trying to lay the foundations for his successor next season.

Lampard said the team lacked “killers” after failing to capitalize on a first half in which Chelsea dominated the ball but finished one goal behind. “What I’m most disappointed with is that we lost 45 minutes in the game where we had all the control and we weren’t doing all the things we talked about before the game.

“It’s not good to play at 60 or 70 per cent in the final third. The final third should be 100 per cent and not just repetitive. It’s not something that can change overnight. It’s not the training at this stage of the season that will change this season.” Or what those games would look like, it’s the idea, sticking to the idea and doing it, doing it and doing it.

“In the second half when we showed parts of that it looked different and it was a game you want to come and see. You have to have pace in the last third of the game and at the moment we feel very comfortable getting up and slowing down, it’s not enough to defend against it. With so much possession you have to We’d have more shots, be more clinical, more killers, but that’s not the case and that’s a process that’s going to take time because it’s not changing at the moment.”

Asked what he expected over the next two weeks, Lampard said: “I want to see good play, some results.” [and] they [the players] Competition, show pride. The things you want to see all the time. That starts now for Manchester City and should continue throughout the week.”

[ad_2]