Why Mauricio Pochettino cannot start work at Chelsea before July 1

The new manager has signed a two-year deal to become Graham Potter’s successor and is flying into London on Wednesday

Mauricio Pochettino will immediately begin planning for next season after finally being confirmed as Chelsea boss on Monday.

Under the terms of his exit from Paris Saint-Germain a year ago, Pochettino cannot officially begin his new role until July 1 but the Argentine has already started the groundwork for a crucial summer, including speaking to Blues players.

Among his top priorities will be determining the futures of out-of-contract N'Golo Kante, and Mason Mount, who has a year remaining on his deal and is attracting interest from a host of Premier League rivals, including Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool, after faltering talks with the club.

Pochettino is also expected to hold talks with outgoing interim head coach Frank Lampard - who has been critical of the players, saying "standards have dropped" - and begin discussions with co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, with whom he will work closely, on summer plans.

Pochettino is due in London on Wednesday for a series of meetings and will split his time between the capital and Barcelona in the next month, while he is also due in Manchester on June 11 for SoccerAid.

There are 19 players in the squad with longer contracts than Pochettino but the 51-year-old is said to be relaxed about signing a two-year deal, with the option of a one-year extension.

His predecessor, Graham Potter, was given a five-year deal with a mandate to build a long-term project but was sacked after just six months.

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