Chelsea squad's WhatsApp messages about Mauricio Pochettino exit 'leaked' by dressing room source

A dressing room source has 'leaked' the reactions of Chelsea players to the news of Mauricio Pochettino's departure, according to a new report.

The Blues parted company with Pochettino by mutual consent on Tuesday evening, with the Argentinian leaving one year into a original two-year contract.

The 52-year-old guided Chelsea to five straight wins at the end of the season, which meant they finished in sixth place and secured European football for next season.

The Blues are now looking for their third permanent manager since sacking Thomas Tuchel in September 2022 - and many Chelsea players have had their say on social media.

Cole Palmer, Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo were among those to pay tribute to Pochettino, who released a short statement on Chelsea's official website once his departure was officially confirmed.

According to The Telegraph, WhatsApp groups 'went into meltdown' after players heard about their manager's impending exit, with players 'receiving no clues' from Pochettino that he might leave the club - despite his non-committal statements in public in terms of his future.

A source told the outlet: "The players could not believe it. They had no idea until the news broke and it started going around their WhatsApp groups.

"Most of them really liked Poch, so they were pretty upset."

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While Chelsea struggled for form in the first half of the campaign - and were thrashed 5-0 at Arsenal in April - there were significant signs of progress with a young and inexperienced squad during the second half of the campaign.

Pochettino's coaching helped Cole Palmer to score a career-best 22 goals, while the Argentinian's methods had also begun to bear fruit for the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk as the season drew to a close.

Palmer wrote on Instagram: "Gaffer, thank you for everything you have done for me and making my dreams come true. All the best." The post was liked by Pochettino's official account.