Chelsea made 'important offer' to in-demand La Liga manager - report

Chelsea recently made an ‘important offer’ to Girona head coach Michel Sanchez over succeeding Mauricio Pochettino next season, according to reports in Spain.

Girona have gone from strength to strength under Michel’s management following his appointment in 2021. He led them to promotion back to La Liga via the playoffs in his first season in charge before earning a solid 10th-placed finish upon their return to the top flight, missing out on a European place by only four points.

But it’s Michel’s work this season that has seen him linked with some of football’s biggest jobs. Girona ended the first half of the 2023/24 La Liga campaign sitting joint-top of the standings alongside Real Madrid, while they are now sitting in second on 62 points after 28 games and are on course to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history.

With Girona a Catalan club that are part of the City Football Group, Michel has understandably been tipped to manage Barcelona or Manchester City in the future.

Pochettino is under pressure / Richard Heathcote/GettyImages

But AS report he has already received a significant offer to leave Girona, with Chelsea stepping up their advances to bring him in as a replacement for Pochettino.

However, this approach is believed to have occurred before Michel reaffirmed his commitment to Girona’s current project and he ‘slammed the door’ on this proposal.

90min understands Chelsea’s plan is to review Pochettino’s position this summer as part of a two-way appraisal. The Argentine signed a two-year contract with the option for a further 12 months last summer but is under increasing scrutiny with the Blues lingering in the Premier League’s bottom half.

During their 2-2 draw at west London rivals Brentford earlier this month, Chelsea fans chanted ‘f**k off Mauricio’ towards Pochettino, while they also sang in favour of former manager Jose Mourinho.