The club’s ownership are meeting in LA to make a final decision (Pictures: Getty)
Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali has dropped a big hint over the club’s search for a new manager after a fan asked if Mauricio Pochettino was about to land the job.
The west London club have been conducting a thorough and exhaustive search for a new permanent head coach since parting company with Graham Potter at the start of the month.
Axed Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann initially emerged as the frontrunner, though is believed to have had doubts about the club’s vision and recruitment.
Former Spain boss Luis Enrique was also briefly in contention – along with other names, such as Ruben Amorim and Vincent Kompany – but Pochettino has now established himself as the stand-out candidate.
After several rounds of talks with the ex-Tottenham boss, 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 final meeting before giving the greenlight on Pochettino’s appointment.
Now footage has emerged of Eghbali at the LA Lakers’ win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night in the NBA, with the businessman enjoying courtside seats to watch the 125-85 win.
As he headed out of the stadium he was greeted by a Chelsea fan in the stands, who yelled: ‘Who’s the next Chelsea boss?’
Eghbali responded initially 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 as he said: ‘Maybe, maybe.’
Pochettino is believed to have asked for a greater say over transfers during negotiations for the job and is even keen to be reunited with his old Spurs chief scout Steve Hitchen at Stamford Bridge.
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The Argentine is believed to have impressed both 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 in a new manager.
Chelsea want an experienced, proven coach as well as someone with a track record of developing and nurturing young players – something Pochettino has been noted for throughout his career.
The 51-year-old has a big task on his hands, though, needing to trim a massively bloated squad that has slipped to 12th place in the Premier League table, while he is believed to have identified the striker and midfield positions as areas that need strengthening.
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The club’s ownership are meeting in LA to make a final decision.