(Football news) Chelsea is on the verge of naming Mauricio Pochettino as their permanent manager. Therefore Lampard’s second stint in charge will come to an end at the end of the current campaign. Pochettino will replace Lampard as the manager at the start of the new season. 

However, they had trouble meeting expectations, and a January increase in spending on new players didn’t provide the intended outcomes. There were some red flags raised when the club fired Thomas Tuchel as manager in September of last year, and nothing has changed since then.

Graham Potter was only in charge at Stamford Bridge for seven months, and his temporary replacement Frank Lampard hasn’t been able to change the team’s fortunes. Lampard’s team was mostly ineffective against Bournemouth on Saturday, but two late goals won him his first victory since his return.

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager will be under pressure to start strong, but given how far the team has fallen this season, it will not be simple. Their current standing will be mirrored in the outright market for the Premier League title in the upcoming season, with several of their competitors likely to receive favourable odds from the leading bookmakers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The first challenge will be to pare down a roster that has become excessively large as a result of the new owners’ careless behaviour in the previous two transfer windows. This summer, they still have a lot of problems to solve, starting with a glaring issue with goalkeeping.

Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga need to be removed because they haven’t been able to establish themselves as top performers. It’s also important to find Enzo Fernandez a good partner because Chelsea can’t rely on N’Golo Kante due to his fitness difficulties.

Although Pochettino might think he can resurrect Romelu Lukaku’s career when he returns from his loan stint at Inter Milan, finding a solid striker is still a top priority.Chelsea also have Christopher Nkunku coming in their team at the start of the transfer window and are looking to sign Joao Felix on a permanent basis.

Aside from team concerns, the toughness of the opposition Chelsea will encounter the biggest obstacle to their chances of contending the Premier League. The Blues fall well short of Manchester City, who have a roster that most other clubs in Europe would want to have. Erling Braut Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne are among the elite players on Pep Guardiola’s team, giving them the potential to dismantle opponents at ease.

Chelsea faces further challenges from Arsenal, who this time around established a sustained title assault. This summer, the Gunners will undoubtedly bolster their roster significantly, making it more challenging for Chelsea to surpass them.

The same argument holds true for Manchester United, who have excelled since hiring Erik ten Hag as manager at the beginning of last season. The Red Devils have a manager with a stronger resume than Chelsea’s incoming manager, and they are just two or three players away from fielding a title-challenging squad.

However, Chelsea shouldn’t have to worry about Newcastle if Pochettino can persuade the players that are on the team to give their all while filling in the squad’s gaps. Similar circumstances have occurred with Liverpool, who have seen a significant decline in their performances over the current season.

Chelsea will see Newcastle and Liverpool as feasible goals even though it might be too much to expect them to catch the aforementioned trio next season. Since the completion of their ownership by Saudi Arabian investors, the Magpies have improved, and this summer they will bolster their roster. The Reds must spend lavishly this summer, but it’s questionable whether their owners will have the guts to do so.

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