Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea by mutual consent after just one season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Former Tottenham boss Pochettino arrived last summer, signing a two-year deal with the Blues, but the Argentine is now set to depart.
Over recent weeks, there had been increasing uncertainty surrounding his future, with Pochettino making several comments in press conferences, including a pointed reference that this was ‘not my team’ after last week’s 2-1 victory over Brighton.
It was well-documented that the club was planning to undertake an end-of-season review to look back on this campaign, where Chelsea finished sixth after ending it superbly with five successive wins.
And, according to The Telegraph, the conclusion of that review will result in Pochettino leaving the club.
The report claims the Argentine met with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, along with co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali, with Pochettino agreeing to his departure on Tuesday morning.
His departure – which is set to net him a significant compensation fee – was believed to be amicable, with Chelsea now starting the search immediately for his successor.
The Blues are set to target a young and progressive coach, with the likes of Kieran McKenna, Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness, Girona’s Michel and Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca among the candidates.
Pochettino becomes the third manager to leave Chelsea since the Todd Boehly-led consortium took over the club in May 2022, with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter both sacked last season.
The 52-year-old had met with co-owner Todd Boehly for dinner last Friday and hinted after Sunday’s final day victory over Bournemouth that the future was positive.
‘It was a very nice dinner together. If I invited you alone and you are me and we have a dinner, it’s not for a bad thing, no?
‘If I need to tell something (bad) I call by phone or say: “Let’s go for a coffee”.’
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