- Mauricio Pochettino has around 18 months remaining on his Chelsea contract
- Any pay-off agreed before June would count toward spending rules this season
- Chelsea are a mess and it’s hard to find the answers… but they have to keep the faith and stay patient – It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Chelsea are concerned that sacking Mauricio Pochettino could put them in danger of breaching Premier League spending rules, with the club’s precarious financial situation emerging as a significant factor as they consider whether to make a managerial change.
The Argentine has around 18 months left on his contract at Stamford Bridge and dismissing him and his large backroom team would cost Chelsea in excess of £10million.
Any pay-off agreed before June would count towards the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) this season, which Chelsea are already battling to avoid breaching after spending over £1billion on new players since the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital takeover.
Independent finance experts have estimated that Chelsea need to raise tens of millions from player sales by the end of June to avoid being charged for breaching spending limits, an issue exacerbated by their failed attempts at selling home-grown players such as Armando Broja during last month’s window.
Clubs are currently allowed to lose a maximum of £105m over a three-year period, though there are certain exemptions, such as spending on infrastructure, women’s football and investment in youth.
Chelsea are concerned sacking Mauricio Pochettino may mean they breach spending rules
The club’s financial situation is a major factor as Todd Boehly considers making a change
Compensation packages following managerial sackings are not excused however, while Pochettino also boasts a large backroom staff, having arrived in the summer with Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez and his son, Sebastiano Pochettino.
Chelsea’s new ownership have already spent huge sums on sacking managers since buying the club from Roman Abramovich in May 2022, with Thomas Tuchel collecting £10m when he was sacked four months later and Graham Potter due £13m in compensation.
Chelsea are already in a concerning position with PSR and were willing to offload Broja, Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah for the right price in January as homegrown players represent pure profit in PSR terms.
Yet Broja only left on loan for Fulham after their £50m valuation priced him out of a permanent move, while Chalobah stayed put.
Pochettino signed a two-year contract with the option to extend by 12 months when he took over in the summer, though Chelsea supporters could be heard singing Jose Mourinho’s name during Sunday’s 4-2 defeat by Wolves with the club’s former manager now out of work following his sacking by Roma.
It would cost Chelsea over £10million to dismiss the manager and his large backroom team (L-R: Toni Jimenez, Miguel D’Agostino, Pochettino and assistant manager Jesus Perez)
Chelsea’s defeat at home by Wolves leaves them in the bottom half of the Premier League
Chelsea had hoped their transfer business would lead to Champions League football, which would provide a major financial boost, but Sunday’s loss left them in the bottom half of the Premier League.
The winners of the FA Cup qualify for the Europa League – Chelsea travel to Aston Villa in a fourth-round replay this week – while beating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final would secure a spot in the Europa Conference League.
Chelsea confirmed that Pochettino will take today’s press conference ahead of the trip to Villa Park.
Chelsea declined to comment.
