Chelsea have put together a four-man shortlist that could help meet one of Mauricio Pochettino’s transfer demands – if he is appointed as manager at Stamford Bridge.

MEZIESBLOG reported earlier this month that conversations between the Blues and Pochettino have been positive despite no agreement being reached.

Reports this week have suggested Pochettino could be confirmed as Chelsea’s new manager as early as the weekend. Frank Lampard is set to remain in charge of the Blues’ final Premier League fixtures and assist the club in preparing the new manager ahead of next season.

The former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss is said to want a new goalkeeper, central midfielder and striker if he becomes the new head coach at Stamford Bridge. However, he will only be able to bring in new signings once a large number of current players have been sold due to the inflated squad size.

Boehly spent over £600million on new signings in the last two transfer windows and is now planning to move on the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic to reduce the club’s wage bill and allow a new manager to sign some new players. The Blues already have a four-man shortlist that could help Pochettino address a key area of the squad that he wants to improve.

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will prioritise the signing of a new defensive midfielder and striker this summer. Enzo Fernandez will need a capable partner in midfield with the futures of both N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic still uncertain heading into the summer transfer window.

Romano states that Southampton talent Romeo Lavia has always been on Chelsea’s list of targets and believes the Blues could also make a move for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo again after having a verbal offer for the Ecuadorian midfielder rejected by the Seagulls in January.

Caicedo’s team-mate, Alexis Mac Allister, is another player being considered by the Blues, but their interest in the Argentina World Cup winner has cooled with Liverpool now the clear front-runners to sign the Brighton star, MEZIESBLOG understands. Mac Allister wants to leave the Amex Stadium this summer, despite the club’s success under Roberto De Zerbi this season.

Manu Kone is another player who is currently attracting a lot of interest from clubs across Europe. Pochettino could have the final say on new arrivals this summer if he is appointed as head coach at Stamford Bridge, but it’s clear Boehly is already planning some potential moves ahead of next season.