Pochettino is in advanced talks to take over at Stamford Bridge (Picture: Getty)
Mauricio Pochettino has given Chelsea his assessment of the current squad and told the club to focus their rebuild on homegrown talent.
The former Tottenham manager is in advanced talks with the Blues over becoming their new permanent manager.
Reports suggest a deal to bring him to Stamford Bridge and take over from interim boss Frank Lampard could be completed as early as this week – although it remains to be seen whether the Argentine would take over immediately or wait until the summer.
Chelsea have spent over £600million since Todd Boehly’s takeover last year with a major overhaul of the squad set to take place this summer.
Ahead of his possible arrival, Pochettino has already given his verdict on a number of players whose futures are in question, according to The Times.
The 51-year-old has also informed the club the presence of homegrown talent within the group can serve a key role in building a winning culture in west London.
Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Trevoh Chalobah are among the academy graduates whose futures at Chelsea are uncertain.
Pochettino has discussed the current Chelsea squad with Boehly (Picture: Getty)
Another youngster in Levi Colwill is set to return to the club this summer after his loan spell at Brighton and will be part of the first-team squad next season.
Loftus-Cheek, Mount, Christian Pulisic, Mateo Kovacic, Callum Hudson-Odoi, César Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will all have just one year left on their respective contracts this summer.
N’Golo Kante meanwhile is out of contract at the end of the season with the club facing another issue in the return of Romelu Lukaku, with Inter Milan not interested in making his loan arrangement permanent.
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Should Pochettino be appointed, he will be joined by his four close confidants in assistant and head of conditioning Jesus Perez, first-team coach Miguel D’Agostino, goalkeeper coach Toni Jimenez and his son Sebastiano, a sports scientist.
Perez, D’Agostino and Jimenez have been at Pochettino’s side for most of his managerial career, joining him at Southampton and Tottenham and following him to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
Pochettino has been without a job since parting ways with the French giants last year.
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