Sky Sports’ Paul Merson says he is stunned Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea by mutual consent.

The west London club announced Pochettino’s departure on Tuesday, eight days short of a year after it was announced he would take charge at Stamford Bridge on a two-year contract.

The 52-year-old led a youthful Blues side to the Carabao Cup final and FA Cup semi-finals and, despite a season largely of struggles, ended the Premier League campaign with five successive wins to secure European football with a sixth-place finish.

“I cannot believe he’s gone. Who is making these decisions?,” said Merson, visibly astounded at the news.

“How are you going to replace a manager like him? He’s just got this team playing. Finished sixth, got into Europe. It’s madness.

“I cannot believe what I’m hearing.”

Chelsea are now searching for their fourth permanent manager since Todd Boehly’s takeover at the club two years ago.

‘History repeating itself as Pochettino departs’

Sky Sports’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:

“We all know Mauricio Pochettino had quite a difficult season at Stamford Bridge, but it appeared as though things had changed. Results had got much better, the fans felt a connection with him, and the team.

“But the season ended and Mauricio had a meeting with the two sporting directors at Chelsea, and they decided after talks to sleep on it. But ultimately, both sides felt that going forward they couldn’t make it work, they were on different paths.

“Pochettino revealed he had dinner with Todd Boehly recently and that had gone well, but behind the scenes there has been some doubt. Chelsea are such a big club, politically there is a lot going on.

“Chelsea believe they are a Champions League club. For a variety of reasons, they’ve not met that target. There are no hard feelings between the owners and Mauricio Pochettino, the players like him, and fans like him too.

“It’s a job that takes time. Chelsea managers don’t get a lot of time and it seems like history is repeating itself under the new ownership.”

So who next for Chelsea?

Sky Sports’ chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:

“The likes of Thomas Tuchel, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte are not being considered. They want a dynamic coach to work within a structure that is settled and bedded in.

“Kieran McKenna has done such a fantastic job at Ipswich. The only thing I would say there is that he doesn’t have Premier League or Champions League experience.

“Sebastian Hoeness has done such a great job at Stuttgart, who finished above Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, is a candidate.

“Another name that’s been mentioned to me a lot is Thomas Frank. He ticks a lot of boxes for Chelsea and I think he will be a candidate as well. If you go through the criteria of the kind of head coach they are looking for, he fits the bill.

“Another name that’s been mentioned is Michel at Girona. Enzo Maresca is a possibility, but not a name that’s been mentioned to me. Ruben Amorim at Sporting was linked with the Liverpool and West Ham jobs, but again, I’ve not heard anything about him.

“I’m being steered away from Roberto De Zerbi and it’s a definite no for Vincent Kompany. He was on the final shortlist to become Chelsea head coach last summer, but I’m being told this time around, he is not going to be a candidate.”