Chelsea owner Todd Boehly may be on the verge of changing course on the appointment of a new manager, and the American, now former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, will update Mauricio Pochettino.
Les Bleus and Pochettino parted ways on Tuesday after the Argentine oversaw a resurgence on the pitch in the second half of the campaign.
Chelsea appointed Pochettino as manager at the end of May, and the former Tottenham boss beat out many applicants for the more sensible position.
A man connected with the void was De Zerbi, who at that point was receiving applause after a good first crusade at the AMEX Stadium. But according to The Athletic, at the time, Chelsea did not see the Italian as a serious option as his profile was not what they were looking for.
De Zerbi has stayed on the south coast and made a strong start to the 2023/24 season as the Seagulls won five of their first six Premier League games, a run that included 3-1 wins over Newcastle and Manchester United as well. as well as 4-1 victories over Luton and Wolves.
But Brighton’s form temporarily collapsed as the team won just 3 of their next 16 top-flight matches. And since then, the south coast side have recorded just one win in their last 10 league clashes, with De Zerbi heading for the exit from the AMEX after the Seagulls’ 2-0 loss to Man United on the final day of the season.
Since Chelsea did not name De Zerbi, he has made 62 appearances for Brighton, winning 23 and wasting 24.
So, with such a series of not-so-exceptional effects under his belt, it’s unexpected that Boehly has now replaced his brain over the 44-year-old.
De Zerbi could have led Brighton to a sixth-place finish in the 2022/23 season, but the team could only achieve an 11th-place finish in the most recent campaign and have only won 12 games in the top flight.
Don’t miss. . . Inside Man Utd FA Cup Night as Hojlund Teases and Ten Hag Teases Fernandes [INSIGHT] Paul Scholes Makes Surprising Comment About Kobbie Mainoo After Man Utd Win FA Cup [QUOTES] Man Utd’s Dream Move Window With Mainoo Best Spouse And £79m Triple Sale [TRANSFER NEWS]
We use your registration to provide content in the manner in which you have consented and as we perceive you. This would possibly include advertising by us and third parties, as we perceive it. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy
And if 2019 Champions League runner-up Pochettino wasn’t the ideal man for the task at Chelsea after guiding the Blues to Europa League qualification, as well as appearances in the Carabao Cup final and FA Cup semi-finals, Ultimately, De Zerbi will struggle to provide evidence that he is the user who will bring good fortune to Stamford Bridge.
According to the Daily Mail, De Zerbi is the fourth candidate on Chelsea’s coaching list, with Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna, Leicester’s Enzo Maresca and Brentford’s Thomas Frank in the running.
And if Boehly opts for De Zerbi, it could raise serious questions about the overall strategy of the businessman and his peers on the Stamford Bridge board.
Would you like to receive notifications from Daily Express?