Winners and losers of Pochettino's Chelsea departure

Cameron Smith

• 21 May 2024 21:00 BST
• 5 min read

Mauricio Pochettino has officially left Chelsea after a post-season review meeting with co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

The former Tottenham Hotspur boss led Chelsea to five consecutive wins to end the Premier League season, but his time in charge at Stamford Bridge has ended after just 11 months.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through three winners and three losers of Pochettino’s Chelsea departure.

READ MORE: The 10 managers linked with replacing Pochettino at Chelsea

Winner - Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich’s managerial hunt has been nothing short of a disaster. They have been rejected by every possible candidate and Thomas Tuchel even turned down the offer of an extended stay too.

Vincent Kompany had emerged as their most likely next manager, despite his relegation with Burnley, but Pochettino’s Chelsea exit has ensured he is now on the market.

The Argentine is firmly the best option available to Bayern and the Bavarians will be thanking Chelsea if they can convince Pochettino to take over.

READ MORE: 'We are a CRAZY club' - Chelsea fans react to Pochettino's departure

Loser - Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher was the only Chelsea player to rack up 50 appearances during the 2023-24 season and is a fans favourite, but the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge seem hellbent on selling him.

Pochettino was a huge fan of the England international, but a summer exit is now extremely likely following the Argentine’s departure.

As an academy graduate and someone who loves the club, Gallagher will want to stay, but he is expected to be sold against his wishes.

Winner - Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea’s decision to part ways with Pochettino and look for a more possession-based coach should suit Enzo Fernandez.

Although he will no longer be coached by a fellow Argentine, Fernandez never really suited Pochettino’s high-tempo style of play.

His hernia issue didn’t help things, of course, but he simply wasn’t the right kind of player to shine in Pochettino’s midfield. With the ex-Spurs boss gone and a new manager arriving, Fernandez should benefit.

Loser - Trevoh Chalobah

The story with Trevoh Chalobah is similar to the one involving Gallagher; an academy graduate favoured by Pochettino and loved by Blues fans, but someone who is likely to be sold in order to generate pure profit.

Chalobah is another player who is now expected to leave Stamford Bridge, with the club’s owners seemingly not taking his immense recent form into account.

If he does leave, Chalobah would be an outstanding signing for any Champions League club at just €30 million, so he may consider himself a ‘winner’ by the end of the summer.

Winner - Kieran McKenna

Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna has enjoyed a seriously impressive rise over the past 18 months and he is now a leading candidate to replace Pochettino.

Just like Luton Town in 2023-24, Ipswich’s squad doesn’t appear good enough to stave off a bottom-three finish and McKenna could jump ship before a Premier League relegation is inked into his CV.

With Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and even Manchester United interested in appointing him this summer, McKenna is now likely to leave Ipswich while his stock is at its highest and a large pay-day looks on the horizon.

Loser - Chelsea’s owners

A feel-good factor had returned to Stamford Bridge thanks to Chelsea’s impressive late season form under Pochettino, but that has now dissipated thanks to his exit.

Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have divided opinion since their arrival in 2022, however the decision to mutually agree Pochettino’s departure could come back to bite them.

Chelsea reportedly want to hire a young and progressive manager, and while this could result in success, the appointment of Graham Potter went fairly horrifically and Clearlake Capital run the risk of severe backlash if the same thing happens with whoever they choose to replace Pochettino.