By our Reporter
Chelsea have announced Pochettino’s as the club’s new coach,with the Argentinian signing an initial two-year deal that also includes a club option of an additional one year.
Pochettino’s return to English football has been an open secret for several weeks and the appointment has now been ratified.
He has spent the start of the week at his base in Spain, but will now begin work on preparing the team for next season.
The Argentine – who has been out of work since being sacked by PSG last summer – emerged as the frontrunner for the job after Julian Nagelsmann dropped out of the running and has impressed owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. He will become their fourth manager since they took control of the club.
The 51-year-old will be tasked with transforming an underachieving and bloated squad that has struggled to adjust after a £600million spend in the 2022-23 season – with Graham Potter and interim boss Frank Lampard unable to find a formula to inspire the team.
Mail Sport reported earlier this month that Pochettino was closing in on the Blues hotseat after jetting into London to sign his contract.
It is understood he sought talks with Lampard before the end of the season, though the managerial duo are yet to have held any planning discussions.
Pochettino is likely to bring long-serving assistants Jesus Perez and Toni Jiminez with him to Stamford Bridge, while there could also be a position for his sports-scientist son Sebastiano.
Perez, in particular, is known to play a key role within Pochettino’s set-up.