Just like every managerial departure, there are set to be a number of winners and losers from the current Chelsea squad after Graham Potter's time came to an end on Sunday evening.
Potter had his work cut out from the start ever since he was appointed as head coach in September. Replacing the popular and successful Thomas Tuchel was never going to be easy and it all proved too much for the 47-year-old, who left the Blues with a win-rate of just 38.7 per cent in all competitions.
The former Chelsea head coach had the unforgiving job of trying to implement his own style on a squad he inherited from Tuchel, while also doing his best to achieve the best possible results. Not to mention the six new players added to the squad in the January transfer window and trying to settle them into a new country, league and football club.
READ MORE: Julian Nagelsmann has already told Chelsea why he would be the perfect Graham Potter replacement
Potter's reign is now over and for Chelsea, it's all about finding the perfect person to replace their former boss. The club have to get this right, they cannot afford a repeat of what has been a chaotic almost-eight months with Potter in the dugout. The club need stability but there could be some players that actually benefit from the manager leaving his role.
One of them is Edouard Mendy. The Senegal international has been the second-choice goalkeeper for Chelsea for the majority of the season after a mistake-ridden start to the campaign. Mendy has been injured in recent months but Kepa Arrizabalaga has been Potter's go-to man at Stamford Bridge.
With Potter now out of the picture, it gives Mendy the perfect opportunity to try and salvage his Chelsea career. The upcoming summer transfer window is deemed a crucial one by Mendy's camp, football.london understands, but if the former Rennes goalkeeper can find a route back into the Chelsea first-team under new management, then things could drastically change.
Trevoh Chalobah is another man that could benefit from Chelsea's change in manager. The 23-year-old has played just 282 minutes of Premier League football since the turn of the year and cannot seem to find a route back into the first-team despite injuries in his position.
In Potter's final match in charge against Aston Villa on Saturday, the former Chelsea boss opted to play Reece James at right centre-back rather than bring Chalobah in who has done well when called upon this season. There is uncertainty over Chalobah's future but a spell in the first-team between now and the end of the campaign could ensure his presence at the club next season.
Carney Chukwuemeka was promised regular senior football when he was bought from Aston Villa last summer. The manager at the time, Tuchel, ensured the 19-year-old he would be a big part of his plans at Stamford Bridge for the coming season. Unfortunately, the German head coach was relieved of his duties just a few games into the season.
Under Potter, Chukwuemeka has featured just 11 times in the Premier League with the majority of them coming from the bench. The teenager has totalled just 214 minutes in those appearances.
Noni Madueke is another man that could benefit from the change in leadership at Stamford Bridge. The 21-year-old was signed from PSV Eindhoven in January but has barely featured for Chelsea since the switch. Madueke has just five Premier League appearances to his name thus far and the England Under-21 international was also left out of the Champions League squad.
Madueke is an exciting prospect but looks very raw at the moment. There's undeniable talent there, though, and under the right management, Chelsea have a potential elite talent on their hands but he needs to be used properly in order to unlock that.
However, the likes of Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who all see their contracts expire in the summer of 2024, could all be affected in a negative way by the departure of Potter. This summer, all of the listed players face uncertain futures and if Chelsea's situation still isn't sorted for whatever reason, then it could lead those five to look elsewhere.
Todd Boehly and the new ownership group have made no secret that they want to be more decisive when it comes to player sales and if someone is in the latter stages of their contract, they could indeed be sold. Those players will want to know who will lead the club in the future and whether or not they are the right fit for them personally and for the team.
Marc Cucurella is also someone who could lose out from the decision to part ways with Potter. The Spaniard has featured heavily for Chelsea this season – 22 times in the Premier League – since joining from Potter's former club Brighton last summer. Mistakes have been ever-present in Cucurella's game since becoming a Chelsea player and a new manager could be more ruthless with the left-back.
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