Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly agreed to become the next manager of Chelsea in the summer.
Almost a week on from their Champions League exit at the quarter-final stage, the Blues now have clarity regarding their lack of participation in European football's premier competition for 2023-24.
That has allowed the club's hierarchy to firmly outline their plans when in communication with candidates to replace Graham Potter in the long term.
With Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann out of the race by last Friday, it became clear that Pochettino was the preferred choice of the board.
In recent days, discussions have continued between the relevant parties in a bid to reach a positive conclusion, even with their being no prospect of Frank Lampard departing his caretaker post before the end of the campaign.
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Nevertheless, it appears that Chelsea's search for a new boss is now reaching a conclusion with other contenders such as Vincent Kompany now not in line to stake their claim.
According to Football Insider, Pochettino has now agreed, verbally, to become the lead man in the Stamford Bridge dugout from June onwards.
The Argentine is said to have informed family members of his plans and usual assistants Jesus Perez and Toni Jimenez are in line to join him in West London.
Chelsea allegedly still have to go through the process of formally finalising contracts before any agreement can be made official, seemingly likely before the end of the season.
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The 51-year-old has sat out the current season on the back of being sacked as Paris Saint-Germain boss in July, despite recording 55 wins from his 84 matches in charge.
However, Pochettino's stock has arguably increased with several managers failing to match his impact at Tottenham Hotspur since his exit in 2019.
Although it was suggested at one stage that Pochettino could be in line for a reunion with the North Londoners, it has been claimed that Spurs never made a sustained effort to secure his services for a second time.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have seven Premier League matches remaining this season, starting with a fixture at home to Brentford on Wednesday evening.
Darren Plant
