Even though Chelsea is currently undergoing a significant rebuild, manager Mauricio Pochettino insists he will be unfazed if his team doesn’t play at their peak against Liverpool in the Premier League opener on Sunday.
Pochettino was hired by Chelsea at the end of May following a disastrous 2022–23 season in which they finished 12th, their worst league position since 1994.
The club has now let go of more than 15 players in an effort to cut a bloated roster, including former captain Cesar Azpilicueta, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, and Kalidou Koulibaly, and brought in six more.
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“We are more in transition than Liverpool because I am new here. (Juergen) Klopp has been at Liverpool for seven years,” Pochettino told reporters on Friday.
“Of course, we are Chelsea. The history of the club is to win. Even if we are in transition, we need to win and be ready to win against Liverpool.
“The mentality for the players is to compete and try to win. I’m not going to accept a different way to think. We want to put the club where the club deserves to be.”
Given that the two teams are engaged in a transfer battle for Moises Caicedo, Sunday’s matchup will have gained additional heat.
The west London club had been in lengthy negotiations with Brighton & Hove Albion to acquire Caicedo, but British media reported on Friday that Liverpool and the Ecuadorean midfielder had reached an agreement on a transfer fee of 111 million pounds ($141 million).
Pochettino said: “We are trying very hard to acquire players of quality to the squad but we will not comment on that transfer story.
“At the moment, I don’t want to talk about players who don’t belong to us. We are working very hard, I am so happy with how we are doing things.
“It’s obvious when you look at the squad and when you compare it to last season, too many midfielders have left. We are trying hard, but being respectful.”
Pochettino added that Chelsea are seeking for a replacement for attacking player Christopher Nkunku, who will be out for a “extended period” following surgery for a knee injury he sustained in a preseason match.
“We are deeply sorry about him. He was doing well and is very vital to us, according to Pochettino.
“Now we need to focus on being positive about when he can rejoin us rather than worrying too much about the injury.
“We are also scouring the market for a solution to add the ideal profile to the team in the short, medium, and long terms.