Mauricio Pochettino reportedly harbored doubts about the big-money signings of midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo during his tenure at Chelsea.
Under Todd Boehly’s ownership, Chelsea has spent heavily on players, notably investing over £100 million ($127m) each on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.
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Despite these significant expenditures, Pochettino was skeptical about the two midfielders’ suitability for the team, according to The Athletic.
The Argentine questioned whether Fernandez was “destructive” enough to play as a No. 6 or had sufficient creativity to play further forward.
Pochettino also doubted Caicedo’s “positional discipline” and believed both players lacked the “size and power” necessary to succeed in the Premier League.
Pochettino’s preferred midfielder was actually academy graduate Conor Gallagher, who frequently captained the team last season in the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
Despite this, Chelsea is reportedly considering selling the 24-year-old this summer due to concerns about meeting Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Caicedo scored his first goal for Chelsea with a stunning strike from the halfway line against Bournemouth on the final day of the season, while Enzo Fernandez missed the end of the campaign due to hernia surgery.
As Chelsea looks for Pochettino’s replacement, Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna and Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca have emerged as potential candidates.
Meanwhile, Pochettino is reportedly interested in taking over the England job from Gareth Southgate or replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
