This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Speaking to The Chronicle, Jonjo Shelvey has leapt to the defence of Newcastle manager Steve Bruce following a tough beginning to his time at St. James’ Park.
What did he say?
Bruce was appointed Magpies boss after cult hero Rafa Benitez departed from the club earlier in the summer. The Spaniard’s exit compounded the fans’ fury with owner Mike Ashley, and a heavy defeat to newly-promoted Norwich certainly didn’t help matters.
Former player Michael Chopra even suggested Newcastle players had no idea what their roles are, and that criticism led Shelvey to fire back.
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He said: “We had a chat in the dressing room. It was like: ‘Does anybody even know him?’ I know he played here but he didn’t score loads of goals. It’s just people being busy to get their name in the paper. It’s just embarrassing. People can talk but we need to stick together and keep it all in house.”
Shelvey added: “Steve Bruce is here now. For me he has been brilliant. The way he involves everybody is brilliant, even the lads who aren’t in the squad. He’s probably one of the best man-managers I have worked with.
“The criticism the club are getting at the start of the season is just stupidity. It is embarrassing really. But the lads answered back against a very good Tottenham team.”
Siege mentality
One of the main reasons behind Jose Mourinho’s success as a manager was his ability to create a mentality within his squad of it being ‘us against the world’. It brought everyone closer together. It helped form a sense of camaraderie and brotherhood. It ensured players were pulling in the same direction.
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Criticism from former players like Chopra may sting, but it could rather importantly help pull the squad together.
If Bruce can tap into this feeling that they need to rely on each other even more than usual, he could foster an incredibly strong spirit. Motivation can come from many different places, but Shelvey’s comments point to a particularly unique approach of getting the team to fire on all cylinders.
According to Esporte UOL, Everton are said to be in advanced negotiations along with Paris Saint-Germain for the signature of Ajax forward David Neres.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Toffees are punching well above their weight in vying with the French champions for Neres.
The Brazilian international enjoyed an eye-catching 2018/19 campaign with Ajax as they won the Eredivisie title and the Dutch Cup, whilst they were just seconds away from making the final of the Champions League.
Neres played a huge role in helping the Dutch giants achieve these feats, scoring 12 goals and recording 15 assists including Champions League knockout strikes against Real Madrid and Juventus – the latter of which was an absolute scorcher.
Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…
As a result, the 22-year-old is attracting interest from around Europe, with the Toffees and the Ligue 1 outfit reportedly leading the way for his signature.
Good relationships with agents are helping Everton punch above their weight
Normally, it shouldn’t be possible that a club like Everton can compete in the market against a club who spent a combined £366m on Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe alone.
The Qatar-funded French top-flight holders are up to their eyeballs in cash, whereas the Toffees aren’t even in Europe next season.
However, the story from UOL reveals that the Merseysiders are ‘advanced in negotiations’ due to the fact they’re easy to negotiate with after completing the signings of Bernard and Richarlison in the past – both players share the same representatives as Neres.
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Furthermore, it is said to be Neres’ wish to play in England, so the Toffees are even more well placed to land his signature this summer.
There is no way that Everton can match the finances of PSG, but in building up good relationships with representatives in previous deals, it appears that they can viably punch above their weight when needed to.
Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to Saturday’s incredible action, as late comebacks in both theirs and Sheffield United’s game put them back into second place.
Leeds made things difficult for themselves against Millwall on Saturday afternoon, going behind twice to goals from Ben Thompson and Ben Marshall either side of a Pablo Hernandez strike.
The Whites didn’t give up though, and Luke Ayling equalised from close range before Hernandez fired in his second of the match with just ten minutes to spare.
And while Marcelo Bielsa’s side were pulling off a dramatic comeback, Chris Widler’s side were doing the opposite, blowing a lead at home to Bristol City.
The Blades went in front twice either side of Andreas Weimann’s first half strike, and the ex-Derby County ace completed his hat trick with goals in the 77th and 83rd minute, goals that effectively put Leeds back into the top two.
Meanwhile in the Premier League, Huddersfield’s loss at Crystal Palace saw them relegated, and Whites fans are in absolute heaven as Saturday’s stunning turn of events heaped misery on their Yorkshire rivals.
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You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, after Phil Hay of The Yorkshire Evening Post shared the news from Bramall Lane…
Steven Gerrard has taken a cheeky dig at two former Rangers players after clinching the signings of Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis on loan.
The former Liverpool captain has made a major statement by acquiring two experienced campaigners, and believes they will have a far greater impact at Ibrox than Umar Sadiq and Ovie Ejaria, who have both seen their loans cut short.
What’s the word?
Striker Sadiq’s spell at Rangers was defined by a dive for which he was booked in a Betfred Cup semi-final defeat to Aberdeen, with Gerrard failing to give him a single Scottish top-flight start.
Gerrard promptly axed Sadiq in the January transfer window, while midfielder Ejaria also failed to make the grade.
Ejaria joined the club on loan from Liverpool, but he only scored twice in 28 appearances, and has since joined Reading.
And Gerrard has now waxed lyrical about his side’s January dealings, with Defoe and Davis poised to enhance Rangers’ chances of beating Celtic to the SPFL title.
What did Gerrard say?
He told reporters: “Rangers sells itself but I tried to say to Jermain about where I was at that stage of my own playing career.
“For me it was about enjoyment. I asked Jermain if a relegation battle was right for him at this stage of his career.
“Was him not being guaranteed games right for him at this stage too? He is well aware of the size of the club, he knows everything about Rangers.
“I showed him how we’re trying to play, how we’re trying to evolve and he was super excited by that. The chance to win some medals, that’s what came out of his mouth.”
Gerrard added: “When you think we’ve replaced Umar Sadiq and Ovie Ejaria with these two, I’m very pleased with the business we’ve done.”
Shrewd business in SPFL charge
Davis, of course, has history with Rangers, with his latest loan deal his third spell at the club.
After initially joining the club on loan from Fulham in 2008, he spent four years there until 2012, leaving for Southampton.
And Defoe has proven at the highest level that he has the required ability to hit the back of the net on a consistent basis.
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The former England international scored 163 goals in the Premier League across 496 appearances, and also enjoyed a prolific spell with Toronto FC.
Rangers’ title hopes have no doubt been boosted by this double signing, and it would take a quite astonishing effort from both of them to fail to top the exploits of Sadiq and Ejaria.
Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…
A new centre-back remains top of Jose Mourinho’s priority list heading into the January transfer window.
Eager to build on last season’s second place finish and catch rivals Manchester City, the former Chelsea manager identified a new defender as a must during the summer transfer window. United tried and failed to sign the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Harry Maguire, Jerome Boateng and Diego Godin. Mourinho was ultimately left empty handed and blasted the United senior management.
The Red Devils’ poor start to the season has only added weight to the Portuguese’s argument, and it’s likely that United will be back in the market when the window reopens. United could rekindle their interest in Alderweireld, but Mourinho might have another name in mind. The ex-Real Madrid boss was spotted in the stands during Serbia’s game against Montenegro believed to be casting an eye over Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic.
Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old would be a fantastic addition to his squad. After gaining a reputation as one of the hottest prospects in Serbia, Milenkovic joined Fiorentina last summer and made 16 appearances in the Serie A. The youngster has played in all eight fixtures this season, but the majority have come at right-back. Many people, including Serbia national coach Mladen Krstajic, see his long-term future in the centre of defence.
Milenkovic reads the game expertly, averaging 2.3 interceptions while playing in the middle for Serbia in the UEFA Nations League. The youngster is also a massive threat in the air, winning 2.4 aerial duels per game this season, meaning he should have no issues adapting to the physicality of the Premier League. The defender has also retained a decent 82% passing accuracy when playing at centre-back (WhoScored).
Now a regular for both club and country, United could finally find the next Nemanja Vidic if they brought him to Old Trafford.
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Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva has delivered his verdict on how Martin Zubimendi has taken to life at the Emirates Stadium.
Gunners off to a flying start to the season
After coming second in the Premier League three years on the spin, Mikel Arteta identified the need to strengthen his squad considerably in the summer transfer window, and spent heavily, bolstering his options in a number of key areas.
Viktor Gyokeres was arguably the statement signing, amid widespread demand for Arteta to bring in a new striker, and the Sweden international is off to a solid, if not spectacular start, having scored three goals in his opening seven league games.
Folllowing the departure of Thomas Partey, it was also vital to strengthen in midfield, and Zubimendi was among the most notable additions, with the Spain international starting six of the seven Premier League games up to this point.
Arsenal let "one of the best finishers of the last 15 years" leave for £0
This former Arsenal forward would be an upgrade on the current frontman at Arteta’s disposal.
ByAngus Sinclair
As such, the Spaniard has clearly managed to impress Arteta, and he has also caught the eye of Gilberto Silva, despite the Brazilian admitting he wasn’t aware of who he was before the Gunners finalised a summer deal.
Zubimendi establishing himself as key player for Arsenal
It is no surprise that Arteta has started the Spain international so consistently, considering he has put in some fantastic performances in the Premier League, averaging a 7.33 SofaScore match rating, the second-highest figure of any Arsenal player.
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The 26-year-old also won the Guinness Goal of the Month award for September, courtesy of a phenomenal strike in the 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest, during which he scored two goals in one game for the first time in his career.
There were some concerns that Zubimendi’s new midfield partner, Rice, may have been ruled out due to injury, but the 26-year-old featured in England’s 3-0 victory over Wales, meaning he looks on course to be available for the trip to Fulham next weekend.
Tottenham Hotspur salvaged their season in the most glorious fashion last month, beating Manchester United in the Europa League final to end 17 agonising years of searching for silverware.
However, it wasn’t enough to save Ange Postecoglou, who Daniel Levy dismissed at the start of the month following a wretched Premier League season that concluded with Spurs completing a miserable 17th-place finish.
But with Thomas Frank brought in to replace the Aussie, there’s hope yet that Tottenham can use the past year as a springboard for future success, having already targeted Bryan Mbeumo, who is expected to leave Brentford this summer and has expressed a preference to go to Old Trafford, although Spurs’ new manager could tempt him to change direction.
It’s the kind of signing that simply wouldn’t have been possible had Tottenham failed to clinch the Europa League. But now, the door is very much open for what would be a marquee move.
Why Spurs want Bryan Mbeumo
Mbeumo has truly established himself as one of the most threatening forwards in the Premier League, vital for Frank’s side’s success over the past several years.
His shooting marks the most salient part of his skill set, for sure, but Spurs would also be getting their hands on a dynamic and layered player who, as per Sofascore, created 17 big chances in the league, and averaged 1.3 tackles and 4.7 successful duels per game.
Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo celebrates after the match
Brennan Johnson holds down the fort on the Tottenham right wing, but for all the Welshman’s potency in the final third, he’s shown to drift in and out of games, his influence waning all too often.
As such, a player like Mbeumo would prove a marked improvement, someone refined and talismanic who could serve as a leader and an example to follow.
However, while Tottenham will be buoyed by Mbeumo’s supposed change of stance in considering their offer now that Frank is at the helm, it would be foolish to put all their eggs in one basket after he previously made it clear that he wants to move to Old Trafford.
Premier League 24/25 – Top Scorers
#
Player
Apps
Goals
1.
Mohamed Salah
38
29
2.
Alexander Isak
34
23
3.
Erling Haaland
31
22
4.
Chris Wood
36
20
5.
Bryan Mbeumo
38
20
Data via Premier League
The Cameroonian has proved himself to be one of the most prolific forwards on English shores, but if he does opt to become a Red Devil, the Lilywhites may have found the perfect alternative.
Spurs lining up another Premier League forward
As per Caught Offside, Tottenham have been scouting Bournemouth star Justin Kluivert, with the report stating that the Londoners are currently weighing up an official offer.
Bournemouth's JustinKluivertcelebrates scoring a goal
Curiously, Man United are also interested in signing the Netherlands international, clearly following a similar train of thought as Spurs. Arsenal and Liverpool are also in the mix.
Bournemouth don’t want to sell their dynamic attacker but would, of course, for the right price, with that tag seemingly set at around €55m (£47m), although it remains to be seen whether or not Spurs would be willing to meet their demands.
Why Spurs want Justin Kluivert
Kluivert has proven himself across two seasons as being worthy Premier League material, instrumental for Bournemouth across their impressive campaign under Andoni Iraola’s wing.
Justin Kluivert for Bournemouth.
Tenacious and technically talented, Kluivert, 26, brings a dribble-centric game that has been refined to establish him as one of the most impressive goalscorers in English football, scoring 12 times in the division last season.
The exciting part is that he is clinical with his chances, thus proving he could be the perfect Mbeumo alternative, with Frank labelling his star Brentford forward as being “unplayable” at times.
Justin Kluivert – Premier League Stats
Stats (* per game)
23/24
24/25
Matches (starts)*
32 (26)
34 (29)
Goals
7
12
Assists
1
6
Shots (on target)*
1.8 (0.6)
1.9 (0.9)
Big chances missed
7
6
Pass completion
72%
81%
Key passes*
0.7
1.4
Ball recoveries*
2.8
2.3
Dribbles*
0.8
1.1
Duels won*
2.9
2.9
Data via Sofascore
There’s no question that the Dutchman has gone up a gear over the past year, and who’s to say that he wouldn’t raise his game once again under Frank’s wing down N17?
Kluivert has truly become one of the most dangerous shooters in the Premier League, so economical and precise with his finishing, capable of drifting into space from close or indeed firing from range.
As per FBref, Kluivert actually finished the 2024/25 Premier League campaign ranked among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goals and assists per 90 (0.69), which even led to him being considered a player of statistical likeness to Mbeumo.
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Though Mbeumo is a right-sided forward, and Kluivert tends to operate in a central attacking midfield berth, the Cherries man has been singled out for his pace and energy in the past and indeed has a wealth of experience on the flanks, scoring 55 goals and providing 47 assists across 221 career appearances out wide.
Moreover, he’s been hailed for his “incredible” finishing this season by writer Ifreke Inyang, scoring Premier League hat-tricks against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United.
If Frank can get the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison performing at the top of their respective playmaking games, Kluivert could find himself reaching even loftier tallies than he has so far achieved.
The versatile forward’s vibrant, physical style suggests he could be the perfect Mbeumo alternative, still providing Tottenham with exciting new qualities while playing in such a way that could see Frank turn him into his new version of Mbeumo.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.Override
It’s the kind of shrewd signing that might just see Tottenham go from strength to strength.
Their next Werner: Spurs in battle to sign "special" £25m man for Frank
Spurs would be making a massive mistake signing this player.
Fair to say, in the last decade or so, some ultra-talented players have come through Manchester City’s academy.
As noted by Miguel Delaney of the Independent, Cole Palmer, Roméo Lavia, Morgan Rogers and Liam Delap are all flourishing elsewhere in the Premier League right now, having either been sold or discarded by Man City as youngsters in recent seasons.
Manchester City's Cole Palmer celebrates scoring their first goal
Rob Dawson of ESPN adds Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jadon Sancho and Brahim Díaz to this list, while Sam Lee of the Athletic would include James Trafford, Gavin Bazunu, Sam Edozie, Juan Larios, Pedro Porro, Shea Charles and Tommy Doyle to those who’ve been sold for big fees.
So now, at a time when Man City have, as Jamie Jackson of the Guardian puts it, an “ageing squad”, they’ve sold off their best young talent, so are unable to refresh the team, but could the next generation of youngsters change that fact?
They’ll be looking towards Arsenal for inspiration, that’s for sure…
Ethan Nwaneri's amazing impact at Arsenal
During Sunday’s 5-1 demolition at the hands of Arsenal, Manchester City experienced first-hand the value of keeping your best young talent at the club and putting them in the first team when Ethan Nwaneri spanked home the fifth, really rubbing salt into the wounds.
A year ago, Football Insider reported that Man City actually attempted to sign Nwaneri, but Gooners everywhere are delighted that this did not come to pass.
That’s because the teenager has seven goals to his name this season, becoming the second-highest Arsenal scorer in history for goals scored at the age of 17 or younger, behind only John Radford, whose goals came in 1964/65, one shy of his tally of eight.
Nwaneri has earned rave reviews, with James McNicholas of the Athletic noting during a recent Arsecast Extra how extraordinary and unique it is for a 17-year-old to have a “trademark goal”.
He has also become only the third Premier League player to score seven or more goals before celebrating their 18th birthday, after Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, both of whom were strikers, and both had pretty decent careers didn’t they?
Yousef Teclab of Breaking the Lines described Nwaneri as a “prodigious talent”, while Ali Tweedale in Opta’s The Analyst believes Arsenal supporters should be “very excited” about his talent.
So, could Pep Guardiola learn a thing or two from his former assistant when it comes to unleashing top teenage talents?
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Manchester City are brewing their own Ethan Nwaneri
As alluded to earlier, Manchester City have, as Neil Leigh puts it, quite the “conveyor belt” when it comes to academy talent, so could Reigan Heskey be the next cab off the rank?
Born in January 2008, we know, we feel old too, he joined Man City’s academy at the age of eight, and is the son of former Leicester, Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey, who won 62 caps for England, scoring seven goals.
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Heskey junior has come in for rave reviews, with scout António Mango on Twitter stating he is “flourishing” and that his talent “can’t be ignored”, while Bix Williams, who writes about Man City’s Academy for Salford Now, states that it’s “only a matter of time before he makes that big jump”.
A winger by trade – like Nwaneri – the 17-year-old has been in phenomenal form this term notably scoring 20 goals in 24 games. So, let’s assess how Heskey and Nwaneri compare at youth level.
Heskey vs Nwaneri youth career comparison
Competition & statistics
Heskey
Nwaneri
UEFA Youth League appearances
7
1
UEFA Youth League goals
3
1
EFL Trophy appearances
1
4
EFL Trophy goals
1
0
Premier League 2 appearances
3
24
Premier League 2 goals
3
11
FA Youth Cup appearances
3
7
FA Youth Cup goals
1
8
Under-18 Premier League appearances
16
16
Under-18 Premier League goals
13
7
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
As the table shows, Heskey compares favourably to Nwaneri for a lot of statistics, especially his output in this season’s UEFA Youth League, scoring a brace against Feyenoord as the Sky Blues reached the round of 32, set to face Midtjylland next week.
By the time he made his breakthrough at Arsenal, Nwaneri had much more PL2 experience than Heskey currently has, still predominantly plying his trade at U18 level, but it is clear that Man City have a hot prospect on their hands, one that they’ll have to give an opportunity to in the first team, or he’ll simply become just the latest player to leave.
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Diogo Jota hasn’t enjoyed a fantastic start to this new Premier League season, with only one goal and one assist coming his way from Liverpool’s opening four league fixtures.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers forward would also frustrate those with a Reds persuasion in the Champions League recently, as the misfiring Portuguese attacker could only muster 23 touches of the ball against AC Milan, with his teammates all thankfully singing off the same hymn sheet otherwise in an exciting 3-1 away win.
Diogo Jota warming up for Liverpool
The goal-shy nature of Jota’s early season performances means even one notable former Reds dud is currently outperforming him, despite the one-time Liverpool flop really struggling during his brief stint at Anfield to find the back of the net.
Diogo Jota vs AC Milan.
Iago Aspas' transfer to Liverpool
Iago Aspas would link up with the Liverpool ranks back in 2013 with a reputation for being a potent goal machine in his native Spain, netting 12 Celta Vigo goals from 34 La Liga appearances during his swansong season for his boyhood employers, to then make the gigantic leap to England.
That jump would prove to be too much for Aspas to take, with the attacker known to Liverpool fans now as a wasteful finisher from his brief but troubled time at the club, as opposed to the deadly and instinctive striker they thought they had obtained for a low £7.6m fee.
Aspas would see his Reds spell pass him by, with only one goal and one assist registered from 15 appearances before he was shipped out to Sevilla on loan, and then found his way back to Celta in 2015.
Much like other major transfer blunders in the striker department at the time, which included Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert failing to ever settle wearing Liverpool red, Aspas just couldn’t handle the immense pressure on his shoulders of playing for the Premier League giants, but has since consolidated his status as a top striker in more comfortable surroundings in Spain having left for £5m.
Aspas' numbers back in Spain
Amazingly, Aspas is in an exclusive club with Lionel Messi with the former Liverpool dud very much now a Celta icon.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
From 499 games to date for the La Liga outfit, Aspas has 207 goals and 81 assists next to his name, with his output during the infancy of this season to date bettering that of Jota’s back at Anfield.
Aspas vs Jota (24/25)
Stat
Aspas
Jota
Games played
6
4
Goals scored
3
1
Assists
2
1
Shots per game
2.0
2.8
Scoring frequency
156 mins
287 mins
Stats by Sofascore
The 37-year-old isn’t showing any visible cobwebs for Celta this season so far, with five goal contributions registered from six games only one off matching Luis Diaz’s goals and assists tally for Arne Slot’s men too, whilst beating Jota’s amount by three.
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That’s the case despite the veteran centre-forward attempting fewer shots per game compared to his Portuguese counterpart this campaign, as Jota continues to be wasteful for the Reds, and Aspas continues to be a difference maker so late into his playing days for his side.
Liverpool would love to turn back the clock and see if things could have turned out differently if the then nervous attacker was given more time to acclimatise, with his stint at the club only lasting a breakneck 15 games.
But, it could well just be that Aspas is a natural fit at Celta over playing in the hustle and bustle of England, as the 37-year-old strives to keep up his electric La Liga form, whilst Jota looks to spark into life over the games to come.
Liverpool star looked "like Coutinho" when he joined, then Slot sold him
A Sky Sports reporter has lifted the lid on some talks between Chelsea and an "elite manager", with Mauricio Pochettino leaving Stamford Bridge by mutual consent on Tuesday.
Pochettino exit confirmed after Chelsea announcement
Uncertainty surrounded the future of Pochettino in the build up to Tuesday evening, despite a brilliant end to the Premier League campaign where the club qualified for Europe after winning all of their last five league games, averaging nearly three goals per game in that run.
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As well as this, Pochettino guided Chelsea to a Carabao Cup final and FA Cup semi-final, with the Blues also finishing just five points off a top four place in the end. While the first half of 2023/2024 clearly wasn't good enough, especially after Todd Boehly and co pumped over £400 million into Pochettino's squad last summer, there was at least a hint of positivity and something to build upon towards the latter stages.
Pochettino's last five results as Chelsea manager
Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth
Brighton 1-2 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 2-3 Chelsea
Chelsea 5-0 West Ham
Chelsea 2-0 West Ham
However, the board clearly couldn't see a way forward with the ex-Spurs boss, and the feeling was apparently mutual. Chelsea announced that Pochettino has left the club by mutual consent, with Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley now tasked with finding the Argentine's replacement.
Even before Pochettino's departure, Chelsea were doing their due-diligence on managerial candidates, in the event he left. Roberto De Zerbi has been discussed internally as a top candidate at Chelsea, according to some reports, with the Italian also keen to make the move to west London.
It's also believed that Boehly could even consider former head coaches to succeed Pochettino. Antonio Conte has been linked with a surprise return to Chelsea, with Thomas Tuchel named as another potential option as he prepares to part with his £10.5m-a-year salary at Bayern Munich.
Chelsea hold "loose talks" with Tuchel to replace Pochettino
According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Chelsea have held loose talks with Tuchel over replacing Pochettino, and the German has been "waiting" for his former side's official announcement over parting company with their now-ex manager.
Given how bitterly things ended between Tuchel and the current Chelsea board nearly two years ago, it would be a shock to see him make the return, but he certainly has his credentials given that he even guided them to a Champions League title in 2021.
Called an "elite manager" by Paul Ince, defender Ben Chilwell has also praised Tuchel as an "unbelievable" coach.
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“As players, we have confidence in the manager. We know we are not going to get a better manager,” said Chilwell (via Standard Sport).
“I am not just saying it, he is unbelievable. I think he has a lot of trust in us. Now there’s that stability, which could have potentially been tricky, is now resolved it is up to us to work and try and get consistency on the pitch."