Chelsea have reportedly drawn up a two-man shortlist to potentially replace under-fire manager Mauricio Pochettino .
The list contains Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim and Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi.
Pochettino, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, has faced criticism for Chelsea’s lack of progress despite significant investment.
The recent loss to a weakened Liverpool side in the Carabao Cup final further added to the pressure on the Argentine.
Mauricio Pochettino – Getty image
Meanwhile, 39-year-old Sporting Lisbon’s Amorim, has emerged as a top candidate, having won the Portuguese league in 2021 and currently leading the title race this season.
UCL: Gyokeres told he was ‘barely visible’ during Sporting vs Arsenal clash Viktor Gyokeres endured a frustrating return to Lisbon as Arsenal squeezed out a 1-0 win over Sporting CP in their Champions League quarter-final first leg, with the striker coming under heavy criticism from the Portuguese media. The Swedish forward, who previously starred for Sporting, was largely ineffective throughout the encounter at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Despite a strong reception from home supporters, his performance failed to match expectations. Local outlet A Bola summed up his performance bluntly, stating: “The striker celebrates with a mask, [but] seemed masked: he was barely visible.” Other publications echoed similar sentiments, with O Jogo noting that Sporting “stifled” their former talisman, while Público described him as “largely absent from the game.” Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances during his time in Portugal, managed just 17 touches and struggled to impose himself against a defence that appeared well-drilled in neutralising his strengths. Numbers speak to a difficult outing Statistically, his performance showed lack of impact. His only notable involvement came in the build-up to a disallowed goal for Martin Zubimendi, where he was flagged offside. A late effort on goal, comfortably handled by Rui Silva, summed up an underwhelming night for the forward, who was unable to replicate his usual clinical edge that led Arsenal to invest heavily in his signing. Substitutes changed the game With Gyokeres struggling to influence play, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta turned to his bench for inspiration. The introduction of Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz proved decisive. Havertz eventually delivered the breakthrough with a stoppage-time winner, sealing a narrow advantage for the Premier League side ahead of the second leg in London.
Apr 8, 2026
Chelsea face competition from Liverpool for Amorim, who is also seen as a potential successor to Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.
On the other hand, Brighton’s De Zerbi, is also under consideration.
The 44-year-old has impressed with Brighton, guiding them to a sixth-place finish last season and qualification for the Europa League.
Chelsea’s interest in De Zerbi comes after the club’s previous raid on Brighton, which saw them appoint Graham Potter as head coach in 2022.
Despite mixed success with Brighton’s players at Chelsea, the club is considering De Zerbi as a potential candidate to replace Pochettino.