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Chelsea target Mauricio Pochettino could ruin Todd Boehly's £68m transfer mission
Chelsea are expected to appoint former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as their next permanent manager.
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Mauricio Pochettino will reportedly be given the power to veto Chelsea's pursuit of Joao Felix this summer. Blues co-owner Todd Boehly is believed to be intent on signing the on-loan Atletico Madrid star on a permanent basis, having impressed the Stamford Bridge faithful since arriving in January.
Felix was snapped up in an eye-watering six-month loan deal, setting Chelsea back £9.7million and containing no permanent buy option. It was hoped that the Portuguese could provide an extra cutting edge in attack - an area the Blues have struggled with this campaign.
The big-money arrangement hasn't quite had the desired effect, with Felix notching only twice in 15 appearances so far. But exciting overall play has endeared him to supporters as Boehly weighs up the best course of action this summer.
According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea are hopeful that a bid of around £68m would be enough to tempt Atletico into doing business. The Rojiblancos are open to another season-long loan, but it would supposedly cost the Blues another £16m.
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Other reports indicate that Boehly wants to sign Felix 'no matter what' this summer. The 23-year-old is thought to be enjoying life at Stamford Bridge and is desperate not to return to Atletico, where he has a strained relationship with manager Diego Simeone.
However, Pochettino will reportedly have a 'key' role in the decision, with the Argentine set to advise Chelsea on their squad management ahead of his possible arrival this summer. The former Tottenham boss is allegedly closing in on the managerial vacancy at Stamford Bridge, where Frank Lampard has been placed in temporary charge until the end of the season.
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Pochettino could therefore have the final say on Felix's future, despite Boehly's reported desire to see him stick around in west London. The American billionaire has faced fierce criticism for his transfer policy to date, with Chelsea languishing in the bottom-half of the Premier League despite spending wildly in the market.
Boehly himself is believed to have overseen most of the Blues' transfer business last summer, when the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella were all given lucrative contracts.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also signed with a view to reuniting with manager Thomas Tuchel, only for the German to be ruthlessly sacked by Boehly days after the transfer window slammed shut.
It remains to be seen whether Felix features in Pochettino's plans for next season, considering RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku is poised to complete a pre-agreed transfer at the end of the current campaign.