Reports suggest that Graham Potter has verbally agreed to leave Brighton for the Chelsea top job. Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday following their 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.
For a while, Chelsea have been hanging on the edge. The west London side have been posting ignoble performances that worried the fans. The rot had started late last season as the Blues struggled to win games. The highlight of the problems is the Carabao Cup and FA Cup final they lost to Liverpool. In both games, the Stamford Bridge side failed to score.
Despite a heavy outlay this summer, the problems refused to abate, and Thomas Tuchel could feel the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. He needed to change something, but the results were not coming and culminated in the defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday night.
It was a surprise to many on Wednesday morning when Chelsea announced the firing of the German. Todd Boehly showed there is just about how much he could take, and the club showed Tuchel the door. Reports suggest Graham Potter is discussing taking over the vacant role at Stamford Bridge.
Graham Potter to take over from Tuchel
In the defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, Chelsea showed no guts and determination. They were out-fought and out-thought by a more determined Croatian side. Following the Dinamo defeat, the signs were ominous, and it was just a question of when rather than if. Wednesday morning saw the hammer come down on Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea seeks a new manager.
Reports suggest that Chelsea are in talks with Brighton manager Graham Potter over the vacant role at Stamford Bridge. The news hit the stands on Wednesday afternoon after the Blues had sacked Thomas Tuchel. Chelsea wants a quick solution to the problem as they seek to get back quickly into their stride.
Brighton & Hove are not standing in the way of Potter joining Chelsea. The Englishman has a hefty compensation clause in his Brighton deal, but it seems it will not deter Chelsea from pursuing the manager.
A manager for the long run
Chelsea may be in a hurry to fill the void created by the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, the belief in many circles is that Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are looking for a manager that is in for the long haul. Graham Potter seems to be the man they believe would do the job.
According to CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs, Graham Potter has verbally agreed to take over as Chelsea boss. Everything is not cast in stone yet. Following discussions with the Brighton manager, formal paperwork should follow soon. Chelsea hopes they can conclude his appointment before their game against Fulham this weekend.
While Chelsea are keen on Graham Potter, Rio Ferdinand believes Brendan Rodgers, who is under pressure at Leicester City, should be the logical choice for the Blues. According to Ferdinand, things could go against Potter, who has not had the experience of managing big-name players.
Ferdinand claims Brighton would be reluctant to let him go. The Englishman has seen his stock rise throughout his career, as he has moved from Ostersunds to Brighton via Swansea. He has received accolades for the display of Brighton this season.
A report suggests that Potter will join Chelsea with three of his backroom staff, including the transfer guru responsible for signing Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo.