Julian Nagelsmann’s agent tagged Chelsea as a club “in troubled waters” and said his client was wise to reject a transfer to Stamford Bridge. Volker Struth, the former Bayern Munich manager’s agent, has also alleged that the Blues saw Nagelsmann as their first choice and only switched their focus to Mauricio Pochettino once it became evident that they would miss out on the German.
Pochettino is on the verge of becoming Chelsea’s new manager, with the Argentine poised to sign a three-year contract in the coming days. It is his first return to the English game since being fired as Tottenham manager in November 2019. However, Struth has provided some insight on how and why the Blues moved from Julian Nagelsmann to Pochettino.
It was right decision – Julian Nagelsmann doubles down on Chelsea snub
Volker Struth, Julian Nagelsmann’s agent, claims that the former Bayern Munich manager was Chelsea’s top candidate to succeed Graham Potter as manager. Nagelsmann dropped out of the competition to replace Potter at Stamford Bridge in April, but Struth believes he might have gotten the job if he had really wanted it. Struth told Bild’s Phrasenmaher podcast:
“I can confirm that Chelsea were quick to call [after Nagelsmann’s dismissal at Bayern Munich]. There were some phone conversations.
“It was the right decision [by Nagelsmann] not to go there. It’s a club in troubled waters at the moment. And their transfer policy, spending a few hundred million euros, has raised expectations that need to be met. There were also some other issues.
“‘He was their number one [choice], that was our information. I believe it would have happened if he had wanted it.”
According to The Athletic, while Chelsea admits to having an interest in Julian Nagelsmann, the club denies that the 35-year-old was ever first choice. Pochettino, the former PSG manager, is presently in Spain but will go to London later this week to conclude the contract.
Pochettino’s Spurs legacy is unlikely to benefit from his appointment as Chelsea manager, but this is certainly a chance too good to pass up. He’ll also be fully aware of the magnitude of the challenge that confronts him in west London, with Chelsea having had one of their worst seasons in recent memory.
Chelsea are now 11th in the table with three games remaining and are on pace for a bottom-half finish at the conclusion of the season. This comes despite investing more than £500 million during the last summer window, implying that Pochettino’s aim must be to get a tune out of Chelsea’s expensively formed group before considering adding further players.
Pochettino will need to start quickly if he wants to escape the fates that have befallen both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter this season. Meanwhile, Julian Nagelsmann was contacted by Tottenham to fill the vacant post of manager in north London. However, the Athletic has reported that the German does not fancy managing there, mainly because of the lack of a sporting director.