Mauricio Pochettino’s recent public faux pas involving defender Malang Sarr at Chelsea was a sign of the madness of the spending in the Premier League.
That’s according to journalist Kenneth Perez, who says the Chelsea manager’s mistake was a demonstration of the core of a major problem for the game.
Pochettino is still working to get to know the squad he inherited at Stamford Bridge, having arrived in the summer to oversee the rebuild of a hugely inflated squad following Todd Boehly and co.’s wild spending since his arrival.
With a number of players departing, and a number of players also arriving, it’s fair to say the doors at Cobham have barely stopped swinging since the Argentine’s arrival.
And it appears one name he had missed was that of Malang Sarr, with the Chelsea boss recently being embarrassed in a press conference when asked about the defender.
Pochettino appeared to have no idea who he was, at one point turning to the club’s press secretary to inquire and receive some clarification.
It was an awkward and something embarrassing moment for him and the player, and Perez believes it was a sign of a growing problem in England.
“Money is being thrown around in Saudi Arabia and this is also being criticized in England, while the English clubs can also do something with it,” he said.
“I really laughed at this moment. This is the core of the problem of players going to English clubs.
“At a press conference at Chelsea, Pochettino was asked about a player from his selection, Sarr. Pochettino looked at the journalists: who are you talking about? He looks at the press secretary: who is Sarr? That is a selection player, a player who earns £2m a year.
“The trainer has no idea that he is in the squad. Chelsea brought him from France in 2020. He has been loaned to FC Porto (and Monaco). But this is a sign of the madness that is also happening in England.”
