Revealed: Chelsea coach Bruno Saltor makes secret Stamford Bridge exit despite club claiming he would work alongside Mauricio Pochettino

The 42-year-old Spaniard has, according to The Telegraph, seen his contract paid up, allowing him to walk away from Stamford Bridge. That agreement has been reached during private talks behind the scenes, with no public announcement being made.

Bruno had moved to Stamford Bridge alongside Graham Potter in September 2022, with Chelsea paying a world-record £21 million ($26m) compensation package to Brighton when bringing in the new manager and his coaching staff. Only two members of that group – head of goalkeeping Ben Roberts and data analyst Kyle Macaulay – remain in west London.

Potter lasted 31 games across seven months in charge of the Blues, with Bruno – who took caretaker charge for a 0-0 draw with Liverpool - among those to be put on leave when managerial reins were passed to club legend Frank Lampard on an interim basis. Chelsea claimed that he had returned to the fold following Pochettino’s appointment over the summer.

That agreement has lasted less than four months, with Bruno allowed to move on. Pochettino is hoping that those still by his side can deliver a reversal in fortunes over the coming weeks – as questions begin to be asked of his future – with big-spending Chelsea picking up just five points from six Premier League games in 2023-24, while already being without European football on the back of a 12th-placed finish last season.