Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been given an 'ultimatum' by the club's board regarding his future, according to a report.
The Blues are set to conduct a review of Pochettino's performance at the end of the current campaign, following the completion of the Argentine's first full season in charge of the West Londoners.
Pochettino steered Chelsea to the EFL Cup final this season, and despite a valiant effort, they narrowly missed out on reaching the FA Cup final, falling to Manchester City in the semi-finals.
Leading up to the end of the current campaign, Chelsea have been linked with several managers to replace Pochettino, including former Roma boss Jose Mourinho.
However, despite the strong lineup of potential candidates, Chelsea's recent results could potentially see Pochettino remain at the helm next season.
Pochettino given an 'ultimatum' by Chelsea board
The Blues have won their last three Premier League home matches, keeping clean sheets in each and scoring a total of 13 goals. They secured a resounding 6-0 victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge, followed by a 2-0 win against rivals Tottenham Hotspur, and most recently a 5-0 triumph over West Ham United.
With those performances, Chelsea moved up to seventh in the top-flight table, trailing sixth-placed Newcastle United by just two points and fifth-placed Spurs by four points.
As a result, Chelsea's board have reached a decision to give Pochettino an 'ultimatum,' indicating that he will retain his job if the Blues secure qualification for the Europa League, according to a report by David Ornstein at NBC Sport.
Finishing the season in sixth place could be sufficient for Chelsea to secure their spot in the Europa League for the next season unless Manchester United finishes seventh or lower and beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Chelsea rule out four candidates to replace Pochettino
However, the report adds that if Pochettino is relieved of his duties, the club has already ruled out four potential replacements, including Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Ruben Amorim and Hansi Flick.
At this point last season, Chelsea were on track for a 12th-place finish in the Premier League, trailing the top four by 27 points. It marked a tumultuous period for the club under Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali's ownership, with Pochettino becoming their fourth manager within a short span of time.
The owners dismissed Champions League-winning coach Thomas Tuchel less than a month into their tenure and subsequently appointed Graham Potter as the first-team manager.
However, Potter's stint as manager lasted only eight months before he was relieved of his duties, leading to the return of former manager Frank Lampard to oversee the final 11 games of the season.
While Pochettino's primary focus remains on securing European qualification, the uncertainty surrounding his future will undoubtedly add pressure to the remaining fixtures of the season.
Chelsea's final three matches of the campaign include away games against Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion before their final-day home encounter against Bournemouth. body check tags ::
