Mauricio Pochettino speaks on transfer – he needs Winstanley and Laurence on side for Chelsea transfer wish
Mauricio Pochettino speaks on transfer – he needs Winstanley and Laurence on side for Chelsea transfer wish
After another disappointing Premier League away trip, Mauricio Pochettino started to look ahead to the summer transfer window in his post-match press conference at Bramall Lane.
Chelsea have won just five matches away from home in the league this season after Sheffield United fought back from being behind twice to earn a point on Sunday. The Blades, who sit rock-bottom of the Premier League table with just 16 points to their name, ended the match with almost double the amount of Chelsea’s shots and a considerably higher xG – 1.53 compared to 0.44.
The Blues, as you would expect against a side that have won just three league matches all season-long, dominated the ball in Yorkshire but did very little in possession. “I want to say also the draw is a fair result if you analyse the game,” Pochettino said.
“Even if we controlled the game and had chances, we didn’t have the capacity to be solid and be strong and not to concede goals. That is the most painful situation.”
Being solid defensively has been such a struggle for the Blues since the turn of the year. Pochettino’s side have kept just one clean sheet in the Premier League in 2024, coming in the 1-0 win over Fulham at Stamford Bridge in mid-January. Along the way, Chelsea have conceded 21 goals in just 10 matches – averaging more than two per game.
Attention is already beginning to turn to the end of the season and the upcoming summer transfer window. Despite Chelsea spending over £1billion in recent windows under the new ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, it seems the Blues are set for another extremely busy summer in terms of transfer business.
Pochettino once again questioned his players following Sunday’s disappointment in Sheffield. He brought up their maturity levels and how they might not still be high enough to compete at the elite level on a regular basis and he also looked ahead to the summer, bringing up the club’s plans.
He does, however, need to get sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley on side. “It is a normal process that has happened,” the head coach said.
“We need to accept, working and trying to fix this type of problem. Always when the end of the season arrives, we need to analyse the squad and what we are missing to try to add people with the capacity to provide what we are seeing today, to improve in the next seasons.”
Pochettino continued: “It’s about to identify the profile. We are learning how the players need to learn our demands from the coaching staff. It’s always a process to build and have the capacity to take a decision, but the right decision, and one you have to agree with the coaching staff, the sporting directors and the owners. Otherwise it is not easy to improve.”
Thiago Silva’s future looks to be away from Stamford Bridge with the 39-year-old’s contract due to expire at the end of June. The Blues have already scoured the market for a new central defender that fits their ideology.
A centre-forward, too, is likely to be on the agenda. Victor Osimhen remains a target but luring him to west London without Champions League football is always going to be a challenge, particularly when Paris Saint-Germain are looking at signing him as well. But other targets are also being considered from a Chelsea perspective.
Pochettino will be hoping to get the directors and ownership group on side in regards to transfer business. But he will be also hoping to get them on side in relation to his job role and prove he is the right man to lead the club forward next season.
