Chelsea have reportedly denied suggestions they held discussions with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim last week.
On the back of an FA Cup semi-final exit to Manchester City and the subsequent 5-0 reverse that occurred at Arsenal, the future of Mauricio Pochettino was again brought into the spotlight.
There have been conflicting reports over whether the Argentine retains the backing of the club's hierarchy and if he will stay in charge for a second season.
In their following match, Chelsea battled back from 2-0 down at half time to earn a deserved share of the spoils at Aston Villa, delivering a performance that indicated the players are still fighting for their head coach.
Nevertheless, if Chelsea fail to secure European football for next season, as appears likely to be the case right now, Pochettino's position in the dugout will come under threat.
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Chelsea deny talks with Amorim
Last week, Amorim was involved in somewhat of a controversial moment as he flew to England to hold discussions with an unnamed Premier League club.
At the time, the understanding was that West Ham United had arranged the talks in light of David Moyes potentially departing the London Stadium at the end of the season.
Since then, the Sporting boss has issued a public apology to the club's first-team squad and supporters, claiming that he made a mistake in making the trip to England.
A report has suggested that it was Chelsea - not West Ham - who paid for Amorim to make the visit and hold talks over becoming the club's next manager.
However, as per Matt Law of The Telegraph, Chelsea are "absolutely adamant" they did not instigate any meeting with the Portuguese.
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Why Amorim has been linked with Chelsea
Since the arrival of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in May 2022, it is believed that Amorim has held talks about becoming Chelsea head coach.
On the previous occasion, a move did not materialise, yet the 39-year-old's stock has since risen having moved Sporting to the brink of a second Primeira Liga title under his watch.
Amorim, at one stage, had no shortage of suitors ahead of the summer, but the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona have since gone in different directions.
If Amorim is to leave Sporting in the summer, Chelsea now appear to be the most likely destination unless West Ham step up their initial interest.
Darren Plant
