Next Chelsea manager: Neville names only option who can inherit swarm of Boehly signings without needing £300m more

Gary Neville has given his take on who the most appropriate option to become the next Chelsea manager would be in light of the number of players they have signed under Todd Boehly.

Chelsea have sacked Graham Potter after just seven months in charge at Stamford Bridge. He has paid the price for a failure to turn their form in the right direction, despite Boehly previously having faith in him for the long term.

For the time being, Bruno Saltor will be in charge of Chelsea on an interim basis. However, they will be looking for a permanent successor to Potter soon. The process should be more rigorous than when they chose the ex-Brighton boss to replace Thomas Tuchel in September.

Reports have indicated that Chelsea want to interview five candidates for the job. Their current shortlist supposedly includes Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique.

There have been plenty of other suggestions, though, and undoubtedly will be more.

Speaking on Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football programme, Neville has named who he thinks will be the best fit for Chelsea.

Pointing to how much money they have already spent in their two transfer windows under Boehly’s stewardship, the former Man Utd defender highlighted Pochettino as someone better equipped to successfully inherit the crop of young players.

Neville said: “Everything Chelsea is saying and Boehly is saying is that they have spent £600million and they have done their spending apart from a centre-forward for the next three years.

“If they sign [Zinedine] Zidane, [Diego] Simeone, Enrique, they are going to want another £300m because they won’t like some of the players they have signed.

“They have got to appoint a manager that is going to inherit and like the squad they have already got. I think that man, because a lot of them are young, is Pochettino.”

Pochettino pushed forward to be next Chelsea manager

As Neville alluded to, there are still areas of the Chelsea squad that need strengthening, despite how much they have invested in new recruits over the past 12 months.

Finding a reliable centre-forward is a priority issue that could take up most of their summer budget. But some of the most demanding managers on the market might have extra thoughts about ways Chelsea need to strengthen.

Pochettino, in contrast, may have been employed by one of the richest clubs in the world most recently in the shape of Paris Saint-Germain, but previously operated with relatively lesser backing when in charge of Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs were constructing their new stadium during the latter years of Pochettino’s tenure, which affected their ability to spend in the transfer market.

Still, he got a tune out of what was available for Tottenham, leading them to four consecutive top-four finishes. In the process, he enhanced his reputation as a coach.

His time with PSG was somewhat less convincing, but Pochettino still has enough credit when it comes to managing in England.

There have been some conflicting claims over whether Tottenham themselves would welcome him back as they seek a replacement for Antonio Conte. But perhaps he will be one to keep an eye on for Chelsea as they reach the next stages of their own search.

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