Chelsea managerial target Mauricio Pochettino is open to accepting the job at Stamford Bridge, according to reports.

What's the latest manager news at Chelsea?

Following Graham Potter’s sacking at the start of April, Todd Boehly moved swiftly to appoint Frank Lampard once again as interim coach until the end of the season but the work is very much ongoing behind-the-scenes to find his long-term successor ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

Bayern Munich and Spain’s former bosses, Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique, who were likely seen as the two leading contenders, have both now been ruled out of the running – meaning that the board are having to turn their attention elsewhere with a new three-man shortlist.

The Argentine is one of those and is considered the favourite, alongside Burnley’s Vincent Kompany and another unnamed candidate who is “liked” and “respected” by the hierarchy but whose identity is currently unknown, as per journalist Matt Law.

Now, according to 90min, Pochettino is “firmly in the frame” to become Chelsea’s new manager after holding “talks” regarding the role in SW6 in “recent days”. Tottenham Hotspur’s ex-coach would reportedly be “open to joining” the club, but equally hasn’t ruled out a return to N17 and would be “willing to discuss” a comeback should the Lilywhites want him back.

Would Pochettino be an ideal fit for Chelsea?

Chelsea’s board have reportedly been long-term admirers of Pochettino, and with the experience that he already has managing in the Premier League, a time in his career that saw him lauded “world-class” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie O’Hara, he would be the perfect candidate to take charge.

The 4-3-3 attack-minded boss won 132 and drew 61 of his 256 games in the top-flight with Spurs and Southampton and has since gone on to secure three pieces of silverware at Paris Saint-Germain so now knows what it takes to be successful having previously missed out on the Champions League title with Tottenham.

Finally, Pochettino is currently out of work and a free agent on the market which means that the Blues wouldn’t have to pay any compensation to secure his services, so Boehly should capitalise on this as well as the fact that he’d be keen to sign on the dotted line to get him in the dugout over the summer and in place ready for the start of the new term in August.