Chelsea 'planning Graham Potter approach after sacking Thomas Tuchel'

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 07 September 2022

Chelsea 'planning Potter approach after sacking Tuchel'

Brighton & Hove Albion boss Graham Potter is reportedly the early favourite to replace Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, while Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane are also in the frame.

Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Graham Potter is reportedly the early favourite to replace Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea.

The West Londoners announced on Wednesday morning that they have decided to part company with the 49-year-old German just hours after he and his side suffered a disappointing 1-0 away defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League opener.

Despite handing Tuchel close to £300m in the transfer market over the summer, the club's new owners – a consortium led by Todd Boehly – believe that "it is the right time to make this transition" 100 days after they replaced Roman Abramovich.

Tuchel was allegedly informed by the club's hierarchy of his dismissal on Wednesday morning, and first-team coach Anthony Barry is now set to take temporary charge of the side as they look for a replacement.

Tuchel leaves Stamford Bridge after 100 games in charge, winning 60, drawing 24 and losing 16, and he lifted the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup during his tenure.

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter celebrates after the match on August 7, 2022 © Reuters

According to The Telegraph, Chelsea will move swiftly to find a replacement for Tuchel and Brighton boss Potter is the early frontrunner to take the reins in West London.

The report adds that Chelsea are set to approach the Seagulls for permission to speak with the 47-year-old, with the Blues "aiming for a swift process of due diligence to appoint the right man."

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino, ex-Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane and Benfica head coach Roger Schmidt are allegedly three more names who could be considered.

Since taking charge at the Amex Stadium in the summer of 2019, Potter has received plaudits for his attractive brand of football, shrewd business in the transfer market and developing young players.

After two seasons in the bottom half of the Premier League, the Solihull-born boss guided Brighton to a ninth-placed finish last season, the club's highest-ever top-flight finish in their 121-year history.

Potter and co have since made an impressive start to the new campaign, and they currently sit fourth in the table – three points above Chelsea in sixth – after winning four of their opening six matches.

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter on April 9, 2022 © Reuters

Away victories over Manchester United and West Ham United were followed by home triumphs against Leeds United and Leicester City, comfortably beating the latter 5-2 last weekend.

Potter still has three years remaining on his contract at Brighton, so a potential switch to Stamford Bridge would likely see Chelsea forced to spend a significant fee in compensation.

Meanwhile, Pochettino has been out of work since his dismissal from Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of July despite lifting the Ligue 1 title last season.

The Argentine has Premier League experience with both Spurs and Southampton, and guided the former to a second-placed finish in 2016-17, before reaching the Champions League final in 2018.

Zidane is another manager currently unemployed after leaving Real Madrid at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, while Schmidt only took charge of Benfica at the end of May after leaving PSV Eindhoven.

Chelsea will prepare for a West London derby in the Premier League against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday lunchtime, before returning to Champions League action with a home encounter against Red Bull Salzburg next Wednesday.