CHELSEA plan to hire transfer guru Paul Mitchell to help clear the decks.
He is set to join in a senior post after working for Monaco and has vast previous experience with RB Leipzig, Tottenham and Southampton.
And while his friendship with incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino is a major attraction, he is also an ideal man to shift the unwanted Blues.
Mitchell has contacts in France and Germany, which could help to find new homes for many of the flops surplus to requirements.
Both Chelsea and Manchester United were linked with him last summer.
In fact, former Old Trafford boss Ralf Rangnick was keen – and so was current chief Erik ten Hag.
And before that, in December 2021, it was claimed Mitchell had “offered himself” to Newcastle.
Son Heung-min, Sadio Mane and Dele Alli are amongst the players he’s discovered, as well as Emile Smith Rowe.
Pochettino will have a long, hard look at their bulging squad of under-achievers.
And Blues’ co-owner Behdad Eghball gave a cheeky wink when questioned by a fan on Saturday about Poch being appointed soon.
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Eghball was attending the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory against the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA.
On his way out a Chelsea fan asked: “Who’s the next Chelsea manager?” He responded: “Who do you want?”
The fan suggested former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique but said: “You’re getting Pochettino right?”
Eghbali winked and responded: “Maybe, maybe.”
The moment was filmed and posted on the Twitter account @ItsMphatso.
