Chelsea's decision to sack Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday morning sent shockwaves through English football.
The highly-rated German coach was dismissed less than 24 hours after the Blues succumbed to a shock 1-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, however, it has since emerged that the Stamford Bridge hierarchy had already decided that Tuchel's time at the club was up.
Although the Londoners have made a relatively uninspiring start to the new campaign, there was no real indication that Tuchel's job was under threat. The former Paris Saint-Germain chief had won three trophies during his time at the club prior to this season, including the Champions League - but that wasn't enough to save Tuchel from the axe following a frantic summer in west London.
Tuchel is widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the Premier League alongside the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. During his premiership, the Blues had look well-placed to challenge the monopoly that Liverpool and Manchester City have established at the top of English football in recent years; however, they faded quickly after making a bright start in the Premier League last season.
Manchester City went on to reclaim their league crown, but Liverpool wound up bagging both domestic trophies. In both finals, they were run close by Tuchel and Chelsea, and Klopp outlined just how highly he rated his managerial rival ahead of the Carabao Cup final.
Speaking back in February, the Liverpool chief said of Tuchel: "His way is really exceptional. He is an outstanding coach and outstanding manager."
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Despite that glowing endorsement, Chelsea chief Todd Boehly has seemingly set his sights on the highly-rated Graham Potter to succeed Tuchel, who had also earned plenty of plaudits for the way he steadied the ship at Chelsea during the ownership crisis that had preceded Boehly's arrival.
Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane are two other high-profile names who are believed to be in the frame to replace Boehly, who is reportedly in line to pocket a £13million payout as a result of his dismissal.
That sum, coupled with the potential £16m fee it would cost to prise Potter away from Brighton, would represent yet another significant outlay for Chelsea, who have spent heavily since Boehly's £4.25bn takeover of the club was confirmed back in May.
Together, Boehly and Tuchel splashed out in excess of £270m during the summer transfer window in a bid to remould a squad that had faltered during the second half of the previous campaign.
Chelsea have already been granted permission to discuss their managerial vacancy with Potter and are hoping to make a swift appointment ahead of this weekend's west London derby at Fulham.
