Chelsea target Pochettino ‘will not be able to veto’ Boehly’s £40m Onana swoop

Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard reviews Bournemouth game

Incoming Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino may be left with a goalkeeper he doesn’t want ahead of next season, with the big-money transfer of Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana already being worked on by co-owner Todd Boehly.

Despite the huge transfer spending at Stamford Bridge over the past 12 months, Chelsea’s faltering form means that Pochettino is likely to want new additions during the summer. Fresh options up front are thought to be a priority, but a new goalkeeper could also be on the cards.

In what would be a ruthless decision for Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has performed well since replacing Edouard Mendy between the sticks, Boehly and co are reported to be working on a £40million deal for Onana.

The 27-year-old rose through the youth ranks with Barcelona but made his senior breakthrough at Ajax, racking up over 200 appearances before signing for Inter last summer.

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Onana promptly displaced veteran stopper Samir Handanovic at the San Siro, nailing down the No 1 spot this campaign with a series of impressive performances. Even so, the Cameroon international is not believed to be at the top of Pochettino’s wish list in goal.

Transfer expert Dean Jones claims that the Argentine may have to make do, however, as Onana has been on the Blues’ radar for some time. While Pochettino will reportedly have a say on the decision, a veto may be out of his reach as the final call will be made ‘as a group’.

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Boehly and co are set to be hard at work all summer, with the aim of giving Pochettino an easier job than axed boss Graham Potter had at Stamford Bridge. The former Brighton manager complained about the size of Chelsea’s bloated squad, and the difficulties it brought in training.

As such, a ruthless fire sale is virtually certain during the forthcoming transfer window, when a host of peripheral stars are expected to be auctioned off. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech could all be on the chopping block as part of a major revamp.

Although Pochettino is yet to be appointed by Boehly, he is widely expected to take the Chelsea job after a 10-month hiatus from football management. The 51-year-old was last in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, and he enjoyed a fruitful five-year spell at Tottenham.

Interim boss Frank Lampard is attempting to steady the ship in the meantime, although just one win in his first seven matches since returning to the dugout suggests that Pochettino will face a daunting task.

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