Chelsea have already begun their planning for this summer transfer window and have lined up a pair of French midfielders, according to recent reports.
Pochettino under pressure at Chelsea
With silverware now looking unlikely for another season, Chelsea fans have had enough of Mauricio Pochettino. Chants against the Argentine rang around Stamford Bridge during their 2-2 Premier League draw with Brentford, and with the club sitting in 11th place there is little faith that the ex-Spurs man is the one to turn it around in west London.
The games to save Pochettino's job?
Monday 11th March
Newcastle United (H)
Sunday 17th March
Leicester City – FA Cup quarter final (H)
Saturday 30th March
Burnley (H)
Thursday 4th April
Manchester United (H)
Saturday 7th April
Sheffield United (A)
However, he appears to still have the trust of the new Blues owners for now, and a strong end to the season could see him still in charge come the start of the 2024/25 season. However, he will need an upturn in results, including a likely FA Cup run, where they face Leicester City in the quarter-finals later in March.
No matter who is in charge in west London come the new season though, it appears that transfer plans are already being made to help them succeed for the new campaign.
French pair on the radar at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea's ability to spend this summer depends heavily on their ability to sell players, with their latest accounts showing a £90m loss from last year amid fears that they must generate significant funds before June 30th in order to comply with the Premier League's financial fair play regulations.
The likes of Lewis Hall, Ian Maatsen, Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah and Omari Hutchinson could all find themselves on the chopping block and all have suitors, which could make raising the cash for this summer relatively straightforward for the Blues.
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Should they do so, they will then look to bolster their current squad further, regardless of who is in the Stamford Bridge technical area.
To that end, HITC report that they are keen on landing French duo Manu Kone and Khephren Thuram, both of whom have previously been strongly linked to Premier League clubs. Though they have spent over £200m on Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, there is a feeling that neither are a natural defensive midfielder, something that would be addressed by signing either Frenchman, which could help bring out the best in the south American pair.
Standing at 6 foto 4 inches tall, Thuram would certainly bring physicality to the Blues engine room, with the OGC Nice star one of the best in Europe at carrying the ball up the pitch and breaking through midfield lines.
Kone is no slouch either – the Borussia Monchengladbach star has been described as a "one man army" by Talent Scout Jacek Kulig and it is easy to see why. The 22-year-old has one goal and two assists from midfield this season, but boasts impressive numbers when it comes to blocks (1.5 per game), take-ons (2.06 per game) and tackles (over 2 per game), all while maintaining an 87% pass accuracy.
With Romeo Lavia waiting in the wings at Stamford Bridge too, should either Frenchman be added to the midfield armoury in west London alkong with a striker, the Blues could begin looking like a serious side once more.
