Chelsea fans spot what Mykhailo Mudryk did on Instagram amid hunt for Mauricio Pochettino successor

Chelsea fans have noticed something that Mykhailo Mudryk did on Instagram that hints at who Chelsea's next manager will be.

On Tuesday Chelsea made the shock announcement that manager Mauricio Pochettino has left the club by mutual consent.

Following a two-day end of season review, club bosses reportedly held a meeting with Pochettino on Monday before he agreed to leave the club on Tuesday morning.

Club owners Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly will have their fifth different manager at Stamford Bridge since completing their takeover in 2022.

Chelsea are expected to appoint a young manager who will continue the work that Pochettino started, therefore ruling out a return for Thomas Tuchel or Jose Mourinho.

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has been linked with the job, after he and Brighton mutually agreed to part ways after two seasons.

Earlier on Tuesday, before Chelsea confirmed Pochettino's departure, Italian journalist Luca Cerchione reported that an 'unnamed club' had paid Brighton a compensation fee of £4.3m to appoint De Zerbi.

The report claimed that 'maximum confidentiality' was agreed upon to ensure the club was not disclosed.

However, fans have spotted that Chelsea attacker Mudryk - who played under De Zerbi at Shakhtar Donetsk - has 'liked' a post from the Instagram account @londonwillalwaysbeblue reporting the news that a club has paid Brighton compensation.

Well we know who Mudryk wants 😅 pic.twitter.com/XrvOQZ1qWC

— LONDONSFIRST™ (@LondonsFirst_) May 22, 2024

"We all know who Mudryk wants" one user on X commented, while another said: "De Zerbi said he [Mudryk] was a Ballon d’Or winner. Mudryk has to be excited about his future role."

Another fan was less excited by the prospect, commenting: "I hope it's not Chelsea."

On Sunday, De Zerbi told BBC Sport that he has no agreements in place to join a new club.

"There isn't any club - no-one offered [anything]. At the moment, nothing," De Zerbi said.

"I hope to work in the Premier League again. I don't know where or when. But it was an honour to work in the Premier League."