Chelsea ‘draw up two-man shortlist to replace under-fire Pochettino including Liverpool target & another Brighton raid’

9 months ago 55

CHELSEA have identified TWO managers to replace Mauricio Pochettino should the under-fire Blues boss be sacked.

The ex-Tottenham head coach, 52, is coming under huge pressure after a dismal first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Despite spending £1billion since owner Todd Boehly‘s arrival less than two years ago, Chelsea have shown very little progress under Pochettino as they languish in 11th place in the Premier League table.

They also received criticism for losing the Carabao Cup final to a depleted, inexperienced Liverpool side.

And just one win from their last five league matches has led to names being mentioned as Pochettino‘s potential successor.

According to The Guardian, one person in the frame is Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim.

The young coach, 39, won the Portuguese league in 2021 and is on course to claim a second title this season as Sporting sit one point clear at the top of the table with a game in hand.

But Chelsea face competition from Liverpool who are considering Amorim as the man to fill Jurgen Klopp’s boots in the summer.

His six-year managerial career has seen him coach exclusively in Portugal with Casa Pia AC, Braga B, Braga and Sporting.

And he boasts a sensational 70.87 win percentage, significantly higher than both Pochettino and the other man on Chelsea’s shortlist.

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That is Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

The Italian, 44, could become the latest man to make the switch from the Amex to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea already pinched Brighton’s head coach in 2022 when they brought in Graham Potter – who took much of his backroom staff with him, only to be sacked seven months later.

The Blues have also signed several Seagulls stars in recent years including Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo and Roberto Sanchez.

And while many of them have struggled or failed to succeed in West London, that is not stopping them from considering yet another Brighton man in De Zerbi.

While the ex-Shakhtar Donetsk manager’s only major trophy as a head coach came in the form of the Ukrainian Super Cup, he has achieved great things on the South Coast.

After taking over from Potter in September 2022, he guided Brighton to a sixth place finish last season.

That qualified them for the Europa League and they safely booked their place in the last 16 by winning their group.

Brighton have been rewarded with a glamorous knockout tie against Italian giants Roma.