Chelsea respond to rumours of Ruben Amorim meeting

Chelsea have strongly denied reports they held a meeting with Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim on his trip to London earlier in April.

Amorim had been a target for Liverpool when it was revealed that he was actually flying to London for surprise talks with West Ham United. The negotiations ultimately went nowhere and the Sporting boss has since apologised for making the trip to England.

That felt like the end of the situation until Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepulveda wrote on social media that Amorim's flight to London was actually paid for by Chelsea, who sent officials to meet with the 39-year-old about replacing Mauricio Pochettino this summer.

It did not take long for news of this report to reach Chelsea and, as noted by Telegraph journalist Matt Law, the Blues are "absolutely adamant" they had nothing to do with Amorim's flight to England.

Chelsea have dismissed suggestions they held a meeting with Amorim or even spoke with the Sporting boss, strongly distancing themselves from the speculation.

Despite the intense pressure on Pochettino's shoulders, Chelsea have not yet made a decision on the future of their current manager.

As 90min revealed earlier this year, the plan has always been for Pochettino to meet with Chelsea officials at the end of the season to hold what sources describe as a "two-way evaluation" in which both sides will offer their review of the past 12 months.

Pochettino will also be given the chance to give feedback on the performance of club officials during his debut year at Stamford Bridge, after which a decision on his continuation will be made.

The Argentine remains under contract at Chelsea until 2025, with the club also holding the option for a further 12 months.

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