When Mauricio Pochettino first interviewed for the Chelsea job eight months ago, it was a widely held view that it was no more than a token gesture.
The club’s co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital were already down the line towards appointing Graham Potter.
The decision to speak to Pochettino — as well as adding Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim to their list of candidates — was more indicative of Chelsea’s desire to make it look as if they were completing something at least resembling a full recruitment process.