Poch 'fires shots at Mount' in first Chelsea interview

 Despite his history with Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino has immediately won over Chelsea supporters with what they think is a not-so-subtle take down of outgoing midfielder Mason Mount

New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has fired a brutal jibe at Mason Mount in his first interview - at least according to some Blues fans.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and PSG chief, 51, arrived at the Blues' Cobham training ground to oversee the first day of pre-season on Monday (July 3) with the aim of returning the club to European football after a dismal 2022/23 campaign.

The appointment follows a so far widely underwhelming period under new owner Todd Boehly, Chelsea slumped to an eventual 12th-place finish in the American's first season at the helm, but the arrival of Pochettino has brought a renewed vigour and optimism to the west Londoners.

The Argentine penned a two-year deal, which includes the option for a further 12 months, at the back end of May and, speaking to the club's media department, Pochettino has outlined his ambition to breed a "winning culture" in the capital.

In order to achieve this, one of the first steps the new manager outlined was creating a homely environment for the players to train and improve.

Yet fans were also quick to spot what they saw as a not-so-subtle jibe towards outgoing midfielder Mason Mount as Pochettino continued "but also we want people that want to be with us" - a clever move that immediately brought supporters on board with the new boss.

Pochettino aimed a brutal dig at Mason Mount (Image: @ChelseaFC/Twitter)

"I’m very sure Poch was referring to Mount here," harked one supporter. "I’m glad I’m not the only one that heard the Mount sub in Poch’s interview," lauded another. "Poch fired shots at Mason Mount," added a third. While a fourth praised: "Best part of the interview that's for sure."

The stunning put-down comes on the same day Mount is expected to finalise his transfer to Manchester United with the midfielder currently undergoing the formalities of a medical at Carrington. The England international is understood to have agreed a five-year deal on a whopping £250k-a-week that could rise to £300k.