Chris Sutton claims Chelsea can win Premier League title if they decide to hire 43-year-old coach instead of Pochettino

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has claimed Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto de Zerbi will make Chelsea Premier League title contenders if he is to join them over Mauricio Pochettino.

The former Tottenham Hotspur boss has been widely reported to take over from interim manager Frank Lampard after the end of this season. But Sutton believes hiring De Zerbi will be the better option for the Blues.

He said on BBC:

“I know Pochettino’s going in at Chelsea, but if De Zerbi got offered the Chelsea job we would all say that Chelsea have a chance of winning the Premier League, wouldn’t we?”

De Zerbi took over from Graham Potter at Brighton earlier this year as the latter joined the Blues. Potter failed to have any impact at Chelsea and was sacked just about seven months into his managerial stint with the Blues.

The Brighton boss, on the other hand, led the club to their first-ever European qualification. The Seagulls are set to finish sixth in the league table this term, their best-ever Premier League position.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are mathematically out of the race to finish in the top half of the standings. They are currently 12th with 43 points after 36 matches.

Frank Lampard warns next Chelsea manager that there are no 'quick fixes in football'

Chelsea's interim boss Frank Lampard has sent out a warning to the next club manager, saying there are no 'quick fixes in football'.

The club are set to finish in the bottom half of the table as they reportedly prepare to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their next manager.

"I don’t think there are many quick fixes in football," Lampard told Stadium Astro ahead of their encounter against Manchester City (via Metro).

"The Premier League moves on pretty quickly and that’s why this year has been difficult for us because the battle for the top four is harder than it has ever been and it will get harder.

"Teams are investing, the level of player, coaches and tactics is improving and that’s the beauty of the league. We can only focus on ourselves as a club and understand the things we want to put right.

"It’s not for me to jump into the future and guess but it’s going to take a lot of hard work. I do think we’ll benefit from a break and a pre-season and a freshness. I’ve felt that since coming in, that we’ve needed a natural break. Of course it’s the desire of the club to get back to where it has been."

Chelsea are set to be Pochettino's third club in the Premier League, with the Argentine having managed Tottenham and Southampton earlier.