MAURICIO POCHETTINO has finally agreed a £10million Chelsea pay-off that frees him up as a contender for the England job if it comes up.
The Argentine would be a candidate to replace Gareth Southgate should the England manager go after the Euros.
Pochettino’s pay-off negotiations with Chelsea have finally been settled following his sacking on May 21.
And SunSport understands there are no restrictions in the deal to prevent the former Southampton and Tottenham manager taking another job in England.
Pochettino’s talks over his severance package complicated interest from Manchester United, who approached him to discuss the Old Trafford job before sticking with Erik ten Hag.
The 52-year-old said he was open to staying in England when he returned to Stamford Bridge to manage a team at SoccerAid earlier this month.
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But with no top Premier League jobs currently available, succeeding Southgate may be his best bet.
The FA have yet to compile a shortlist for the next England manager, but given his experience in this country and track record of developing young players – including Cole Palmer at Chelsea last season – Pochettino is viewed as a leading contender.
Chelsea’s agreement with Pochettino takes their bill for managerial changes to close to £67m in two years of the club’s new ownership.
Thomas Tuchel and Potter both received over £13m in compensation after being sacked during the season, while Potter’s move to West London saw Brighton bank £21m in compensation from Chelsea, who have also agreed to pay Leicester £10m to secure new coach Enzo Maresca.
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How Pochettino and Southgate’s stats compare
Mauricio Pochettino:
- Total matches managed – 649
- Wins – 319
- Draws – 139
- Defeats – 191
Gareth Southgate:
- Total matches managed – 282
- Wins – 135
- Draws – 63
- Defeats – 84
Pochettino’s coaching team of Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez and Sebastiano Pochettino will also receive pay-offs as they were under contract at Stamford Bridge until next summer.
Chelsea required some creative accountancy to avoid breaking FFP rules last year following the £1billion transfer splurge by new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, but are confident they will comply this season.
The club sold two hotels and car parks at Stamford Bridge to a sister company for £76.5m, which enabled them to reduce a projected loss of £166.4m to a loss of £89.9m.
Chelsea were approached for comment.
How much have Chelsea spent on managers?
The Blues have spent close to £67MILLION on hiring and firing managers over the last two years…
Thomas Tuchel (January 2021 – September 2022) – £13m compensation
Graham Potter (September 2022 – April 2023) – £21m compensation to Brighton & £13m compensation after dismissal
Mauricio Pochettino (May 2023 – May 2024) – £10m compensation plus staff pay-offs
Enzo Maresca (June 2024 – ) – £10m compensation to Leicester
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
