Chelsea have finally decided to Mouricio Pochettino this weekend and his replacement has been named

Chelsea have refuted accusations from Portugal that Ruben Amorim’s visit to London last week was to meet with the Blues, not West Ham, about succeeding Mauricio Pochettino.

The Sporting coach was compelled to apologise over the weekend after being sighted in London only days before his side’s league game against Porto, with the presumption that he was there to speak with West Ham.

Amorim had long been touted as a potential replacement for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, but the Reds’ move for Feyenoord’s Arne Slot shifted his focus elsewhere, and it was reported that he had spoken with West Ham’s leadership about succeeding David Moyes.

However, on Tuesday morning, Portuguese writer Pedro Sepulveda sensationally reported that the trip had been arranged by Chelsea, with Amorim meeting with members of the club’s board to explore succeeding the under-pressure Pochettino.

Chelsea, on the other hand, has promptly denied the claim, with The Telegraph’s Matt Law adding that the west Londoners are “absolutely convinced” that they did not pay for Amorim’s journey to London.

Furthermore, they did not meet or speak with the 39-year-old throughout his tenure, with a decision on Pochettino’s future – and any prospective managerial search – coming after the season.

The Blues are now in ninth place in the Premier League standings and must struggle to qualify for Europe next season, with failure to do so potentially losing Pochettino his position.

At the present, his future is uncertain, and results – and performances – in the run-up will play a significant role in determining his destiny, with any hint of the squad downing tools reflecting negatively on him.

Amorim, meanwhile, apologized for traveling to London when Sporting was still competing for the title, calling it a’mistake’ to speak with another team.

Let’s get the elephant out of the room. I’ll talk about it once. The first thing is that the club was aware of my visit. It’s significant and alters the situation,’ Amorim stated on Saturday afternoon.

‘The second problem concerns the veil of secrecy surrounding the expedition. I “secretly” parked the car outside, passed around 15 people, took photographs with them, and boarded the plane.

‘Therefore, remove a little portion of what was done behind our backs, mostly from the club.

‘The most crucial point: my vacation was a mistake. The timing was entirely incorrect; it did not feel right to me at the moment.

‘It was unacceptable, especially given how tough I am with my players; I am usually the first to admit that each of their specific difficulties cannot be solved by the team, therefore it was my mistake.

‘I’ve got to accept it and deal with it. It is extremely evident when considered objectively. It is also false that I did not explain to the players. I handed it to both the players and the staff.

‘Now it’s time to go ahead, including a public apology to Sporting supporters, staff, and, most importantly, my players.’