Chelsea stance on Paul Mitchell explained as Mauricio Pochettino nears job

Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard reviews Bournemouth game

Chelsea have no plans to hire Paul Mitchell despite Mauricio Pochettino being poised to take over, according to reports. The Argentine is primed to be named as the next permanent manager of the Blues later this week. And he’s apparently eyeing three signings as he looks to make his mark at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino is set to become the next manager of Chelsea, with the 51-year-old primed to take over from interim boss Frank Lampard once the season is done and dusted.

The Argentine has previously worked with Mitchell at Southampton and Tottenham, with the duo winning plaudits for their recruitment at those respective clubs.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, however, Chelsea have no plans to hire Mitchell at the current moment in time.

“Monaco’s Paul Mitchell hasn’t been approached recently, even though Chelsea have considered him in the past,” he wrote for CaughtOffside Substack.

“Pochettino loved working with Mitchell at Spurs. But Chelsea are happy with their current recruitment team.

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“Keep an eye on Manchester United for Mitchell, especially if Sir Jim Ratcliffe is named the preferred bidder.”

That Chelsea are happy with their recruitment staff is a surprise given the way their signings over the past 12 months have fared.

Just about everybody, including exciting stars such as Mykhaylo Mudryk, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling, have struggled at the club.

But Chelsea don’t appear to have any concerns behind the scenes and believe they’ve got the right people in the right places as they plan for a brighter future.

Chelsea could go down the Galactico route come the summer, with Neymar being linked with a potential move.

The Brazil international was previously the subject of discussions between Todd Boehly and the PSG hierarchy earlier in the year.

And with Neymar reportedly considering his future at the Ligue 1 giants, a move to west London could be on the cards.

Victor Osimhen has also been linked with a move, having dazzled for Napoli this season amid the Serie A giants’ charge to Scudetto glory.

But Manchester United are also keen on the Nigeria international and Chelsea’s lack of Champions League football could count against them.

Meanwhile, regarding Mitchell, the 41-year-old is set to leave Monaco at the end of the season.

And he recently shed light on his decision to leave the Ligue 1 side, saying: “It was a very difficult decision.

“I loved my experience at this club. I have always felt a lot of support from president Dmitry Rybolovlev.

“We had several discussions about my mission, about the possibility of changing roles within the club, of extending my contract.

“I am very grateful to the president for trusting me. We have built a relationship based on transparency and honesty.

“But I have spent a lot of time away from home and my loved ones in recent years.

“I feel that the mission I had, which was to rebuild the sports project, has been fulfilled.”

Chelsea are next in action against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (3pm).

And they’ll be hoping for successive victories after battling to a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth earlier in the week. 

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