Chelsea owner makes Pochettino 'announcement' amid LA talks & key meeting

Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali has dropped a huge hint over the club’s search for a new head coach after a fan asked if Mauricio Pochettino was about to land the job. 

 The London club have been conducting a thorough search for a new permanent manager since axing Graham Potter at the start of the month. 

Julian Nagelsmann initially emerged as the frontrunner, though is reported to have had doubts about the club’s vision and recruitment. 

 Former Spain coach Luis Enrique was also briefly in contention – along with other names, such as Ruben Amorim and Kompany – but Pochettino has now established himself as the stand-out candidate. 

 After several rounds of discussions with the ex-Tottenham head coach, Chelsea are now believed to be in a position where they are ready to offer him a contract. 

 The club’s ownership group are all in Los Angeles this weekend where they will hold a last meeting before giving the greenlight on Pochettino’s appointment.

Now a footage has emerged of Eghbali at the LA Lakers’ victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday in the NBA, with the businessman enjoying courtside seats to see the 125-85 win. 

 As he headed out of the stadium he was greeted by a Chelsea supporter in the stands, who yelled: ‘Who’s the next Chelsea boss?’ Eghbali responded by saying, ‘Who do you want?’ and shook hands with the fan. 

He was then pressed on whether it was going to be Pochettino, to which he winked, gave a thumbs up and smiled, he said: ‘Maybe, maybe.’ 

 Pochettino is said to have asked for a greater say over transfers during negotiations for the job and is even keen to be reunited with his old Tottenham chief scout Steve Hitchen at Stamford Bridge. 

 The Argentine coach is believed to have impressed Eghbali and fellow co-owner Todd Boehly with his vision and plans for the club, and ticks plenty of the boxes they are looking for. 

 Chelsea want an experienced, proven coach as well as someone with a track record of developing young players – something Pochettino is known for throughout his career. 

 The 51-year-old has a huge task on his hands, though, needing to trim a bloated squad that has slipped to 12th place in the Premier League table, while he is reported to have identified the striker and midfield positions as areas that need improvement.