Chelsea scouting reports: Following his confirmation as the Blues' new manager, Mauricio Pochettino appears to be in line to oversee a big summer rebuild.
As his plans for Chelsea become clearer, Mauricio Pochettino has already begun to express his opinions over both incoming and exiting acquisitions. According to football.london, an agreement between the two parties has been in place since early May, and the club announced on Monday that the Argentine had signed a two-year contract to manage the Blues.
Two additional players who have been closely connected to departures that could occur early in the summer window are Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. According to football.london, Loftus-Cheek is in advanced talks to join AC Milan after the Italian powerhouses originally inquired about a transfer in April.
Chelsea is still primarily interested in signing a striker, a midfielder, and a custodian. There appears to have been some loose discussion about a list of prospective targets for each post, but one position has a clear major target and is Pochettino's top priority to fill. The Guardian claims that this summer's focus will be to buy a new central midfielder rather than a striker. Sporting CP star Manuel Ugarte is unquestionably who Chelsea wants because they consider him as Enzo Fernandez's ideal partner. Paris Saint-Germain is also interested in Ugarte, but he now prefers a move to west London. The Blues intend to meet the 22-year-old's £52 million release clause as Pochettino is pushing hard to sign him.
The team still needs to sign a true striker this summer, but Pochettino preferring a midfield addition suggests that he may occasionally employ Kai Havertz or Christopher Nkunku at the attack's leading edge. Romelu Lukaku is obviously another issue that needs to be resolved. Additionally, the potential departures of N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, and Mount this summer may make it difficult to find depth in the midfield.