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Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino plotting Dele Alli call after more transfer exits planned
Mauricio Pochettino is set to speak with Dele Alli after starting work at Chelsea
Pochettino states aims for Chelsea after taking over as manager
New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that he will be holding a phone call with Dele Alli as the Everton man’s career continues to falter. The 27-year-old returned early from a loan spell at Besiktas owing to injury, but had found himself out of favour in Turkey and questions remain over his future at Goodison Park.
He was one of the first senior figures to return to Everton’s pre-season as he had a year left on his contract with Sean Dyche’s outfit, having fallen from grace since he was one of Pochettino’s stars at Tottenham. The Argentine faced the press for the first time since taking over at Stamford Bridge, and insisted that he will speak with Alli in the near future to find out “what is going on”.
Pochettino said, as quoted by the Mirror: “I hope to have some time to call and see because he is a great guy and I want to talk a little bit with him and hear. I want to help him and see what is going on with him. He is still young. And for sure he has the mentality. Now it’s a long time since I spoke to him but I want to contact him again and see what is going on.”
Alli was reportedly banished from the Besiktas team by boss Senol Gunes before returning to England, having been told a year ago by Frank Lampard that he was free to find a new club on loan. Dyche may have extended an olive branch to Alli, having opened up on the 37-cap England man’s situation earlier in the week.
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"I just got a sense that he wants to be back playing football and playing well," Dyche said on Thursday. "I've heard all the noise, I've heard all the opinions and I'm pretty sure that you're aware that I like to make my own.
"But he needs to get fit. I've met him but I haven't seen him train, I haven't seen him play for Everton, I haven't seen him train with us every day. It's important that he gets himself properly fit and - if he needs an operation or doesn't - then makes sure his fitness is good and makes sure he's well and ready to go."
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While at Chelsea, there could be further exits despite a fire sale that has seen the likes of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic among others depart. When asked about Raheem Sterling, Pochettino went on to explain that he is a big fan of last summer’s big signing, but more sales will take place.
“We are talking about a really good player [Sterling],” Pochettino added. “But because of the circumstances in a football club, sometimes it’s not easy for a player to adapt quickly and show the same performance that he maybe had at the other club.
“We need to reduce the number of people in the squad because it was so big. People need to find their space first of all in the training ground, then in training, then in the team. We can’t just blame the players. We need to see what is going on and why they are not performing in the way we expect. “When all is clear, we cannot give excuses to them not to perform. We need to clean everything and say, ‘Come on - now it’s up to you, show me you are ready to play for this football club’.”