Mauricio Pochettino was sensationally sacked on Tuesday night after the Argentine lost the Tottenham dressing room. Sportsmail revealed on Tuesday how the Argentine was on the brink of leaving Spurs following the club’s poor start to the season that has left them in 14th place, 11 points adrift of Manchester City in fourth.

And Tottenham confirmed Pochettino’s shock departure at around 7.30pm, bringing the curtain down on a largely successful five-and-a-half year reign.

But his sack comes at a cost to the club. The South American is understood to be entitled to a £12.5million pay-off if he was sacked, reports Mailonline.

Jose Mourinho is understood to already be in talks to replace Pochettino. Mourinho, three times a title winner in two spells with Chelsea, would relish a return to the Premier League.

As Sportsmail reported, talks regarding Pochettino’s exit took place last week but those discussions came to an impasse over the financial terms of his departure.

But it is understood discussions over Pochettino’s impending departure recommenced on Monday with all parties reaching an agreement allowing news of the manager’s departure to be confirmed.

‘The Club can today announce that Mauricio Pochettino and his coaching staff Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino and Antoni Jimenez have been relieved of their duties,’ the statement read.

Chairman, Daniel Levy, said: ‘We were extremely reluctant to make this change and it is not a decision the Board has taken lightly, nor in haste.

‘Regrettably domestic results at the end of last season and beginning of this season have been extremely disappointing.

‘It falls to the Board to make the difficult decisions – this one made more so given the many memorable moments we have had with Mauricio and his coaching staff – but we do so in the Club’s best interests.

‘Mauricio and his coaching staff will always be part of our history. I have the utmost admiration for the manner in which he dealt with the difficult times away from a home ground whilst we built the new stadium and for the warmth and positivity he brought to us. I should like to thank him and his coaching staff for all they have contributed. They will always be welcome here.

‘We have a talented squad. We need to re-energise and look to deliver a positive season for our supporters.’ The news of Pochettino’s sacking came as a shock to the players, who were left completely in the dark regarding their manager’s impending fate until it was confirmed.

Players were aware that a change maybe on the horizon and were privately discussing the prospect of Pochettino leaving. MailOnline