According to The Telegraph, Chelsea’s players were ‘stunned’ by the decision and only found out when the club announced it just over 12 hours ago.

And back when Potter ended his 40-month spell with the Seagulls, Solly March admitted he and his teammates were somewhat gobsmacked by the move.

Earlier this year, the 28-year-old winger said much of the squad found out about the exit of the ex-Ostersunds boss on TV, and it came on the same day that he had posed for Brighton’s official 2022/23 team photo.

“It was a bit of a shock. I don’t think anyone saw it coming and it happened so quick.

We had a team photo and then we were having lunch and watching Sky Sports News, and they said, ‘Potter’s going to Chelsea’.

It was about an hour later,” March told journalists in late January.

“So it was a bit of a shock for everybody and perhaps that’s why it took a couple of weeks to bed in with Roberto [De Zerbi].

Not many managers leave when you’re fourth in the league, which is where we were when Graham left.”

While Potter said this was too good an opportunity to refuse, his spell in west London proved to be an underwhelming one.

Chelsea were sixth in the Premier League when he took over and following his dismissal they are 11th in the table.

According to the Independent, Chelsea had recently drawn up their three-man shortlist ‘in case the worst happened’.

They have now twisted the knife on Potter despite co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali offering strong public support as recently as late February.

Chelsea will reportedly not rush into appointing Potter’s successor and there is apparently hope among club chiefs that interim boss Bruno Saltor will lift momentum through to the end of the season.

The man entrusted with replacing Potter in the short term is a former Brighton full-back who worked closely with the sacked tactician as part of his backroom staff.