Chelsea's hopes of qualifying for a European competition for the 2024/25 campaign took another blow as they were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday.
They were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City at Wembley in the semi-finals of the competition, which means that they do not have a chance to qualify for Europe through winning the tournament.
The Blues are also ninth in the Premier League table, ahead of their clash with Arsenal on Tuesday night, and have plenty of work to do if they want to reach the Europa Conference League or the Europa League places before the end of the season.
Their struggles on the pitch have not done much good for Mauricio Pochettino's position as the club's manager, as rumours continue to swirl over his position at Stamford Bridge heading into next term.
In fact, Todd Boehly and his team are reportedly looking at a manager from one of their rivals in the Premier League as a possible replacement for the Argentine boss.
Chelsea's interest in Premier League head coach
According to TV Dello Sport reporter Rudy Galetti, Chelsea have identified Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi as a candidate to take over at Stamford Bridge.
The journalist claims that the Italian tactician is currently the "preferred" option for the Blues and has climbed ahead of other candidates in their thinking.
Galetti reports that Pochettino's position at Chelsea is "always" in question, which does not suggest that a definitive decision has been made either way at this moment in time.
This means that the former Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton boss may still have time to save his job if the team's performances and results are impressive enough between now and the end of the current season to convince the board to stick with him heading into the summer transfer window.
The Italian journalist adds that De Zerbi is also open to moving on from the Seagulls, who he led to the knockout stages of the Europa League this term, to start a new experience in the 2024/25 campaign.
He reveals that the Brighton chief views Chelsea as a good option to join if he does decide to move on from his current side, but German giants Bayern Munich, who are looking to replace ex-Blues manager Thomas Tuchel, are also in the race to secure his services.
This suggests that Boehly may need to fight to land De Zerbi in the summer, should the Italian tactician become available, as Bayern could provide fierce competition for his signature.
If the London-based outfit can win the race for him, though, it could be heaven for current midfielder Moises Caicedo, who worked under him last season.
Moises Caicedo's form for Roberto De Zerbi
The Ecuador international was signed by Chelsea for a staggering British-record transfer fee of £115m, with an initial £100m and £15m of easily achievable add-ons.
It was a mind-blowing fee to pay for a defensive midfield player who had yet to prove himself in Europe or at a top club in England or elsewhere.
So far, Caicedo is yet to live up to his price tag as his performances have not even been as good as his displays for Brighton in the Premier League last season, whilst working with De Zerbi.
Appearances
37
28
Sofascore rating
7.08
7.03
Key passes per game
1.2
0.6
Tackles per game
2.7
2.4
Interceptions per game
1.5
1.1
Duel success rate
58%
55%
As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old dynamo created twice as many chances (key passes) per game, and made 0.7 more tackles and interceptions per outing, whilst also winning a higher percentage of his physical duels.
The chart above also illustrates how much more of an impact Caicedo had on the pitch in the Premier League under De Zerbi than he has for Pochettino this term, with more progressive passes, progressive carries, and touches in the opposition penalty box per 90.
These statistics all point to him being far more successful in the Italian's system in comparison to the current set-up at Chelsea, as he currently does not have as much license to get forward to progress play from deep whilst his defensive powers have also waned.
Therefore, De Zerbi arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer would be perfect for Caicedo, who would be back in heaven with a manager who he knows can get the best out of him in the Premier League, as he could then start to justify his mammoth transfer fee.
Roberto De Zerbi's record with Brighton
The 44-year-old boss, who typically deploys a base formation of 4-2-3-1, led the Seagulls to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League last term, which earned them Europa League football.
He won 14 of his 32 league matches in charge of the club, having replaced Graham Potter after his move to Chelsea, and currently has Brighton, who lost Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister last summer, in tenth place.
Meanwhile, Pochettino currently has the Blues in ninth in the Premier League, despite splashing the cash on Caicedo, Cole Palma, Romeo Lavia, Christopher Nkunku, and Nicolas Jackson, among others, ahead of the season.
De Zerbi, whose dominant style of football was hailed as "unique" by Pep Guardiola, has also caught the eye with his management in Europe for Brighton, with a record of five wins, one draw, and two defeats in eight Europa League games.
Whereas, Pochettino lost five and won six of 14 Champions League matches in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, which was his last experience of European football prior to arriving at Stamford Bridge.
It remains to be seen whether or not De Zerbi can be a success at a top club and compete for major honours on a regular basis, having only performed in the mid-to-upper level of the table in England so far.
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However, his appointment would be heaven for club-record signing Caicedo, whose performances could improve under his former manager, and that is one seemingly glaring positive that could come from bringing the Brighton boss to London to replace Pochettino in the summer.
