POTTER OFFERED THE CHELSEA JOB
++ He’s set to be in dugout for Fulham game after late-night Boehly talks ++ Brighton staff to follow him ++ Fired Tuchel nets £15m in compensation ++
CHELSEA are set to formally offer Graham Potter their vacant manager’s job today after the shock sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
Brighton boss Potter was locked in advanced talks with the Blues last night and an agreement is said to be close. Barring any last-minute hitches, he is expected to be in charge for Saturday’s Premier League clash at Fulham.
Having made a formal approach
to Brighton, Chelsea were granted permission to speak to Potter. Those talks are understood to have been led by co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali in London yesterday afternoon and continued into the evening.
There was no confirmation of Potter’s appointment last night, but sources said the only way Chelsea would not appoint him is if he turned down the role. The identification of Potter as
Chelsea’s preferred option to replace Tuchel — who will receive as much as £15million in compensation after his shock dismissal — has come during a period in which the club are without a sporting director. Boehly has taken interim charge, but it is understood the club are close to appointing someone in that role. Sources have even said the new man has had some influence on the move for Potter.
Former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards and ex-Tottenham and Southampton recruitment guru Paul Mitchell are among those being considered by Chelsea. Sources have indicated Potter is fully open to taking over at Stamford Bridge and that reaching an agreement will be straightforward. The 47-year-old is understood to have a release clause of at least £12m in his contract, meaning Brighton are powerless to stop their manager leaving. Recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay and first-team coach Billy Reid are among the Brighton staff set to follow Potter to London.
If Chelsea’s move for Potter fails then former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino would be a strong candidate. Zinedine Zidane is also of interest.
Tuchel was sacked yesterday hours after his side’s 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb, Chelsea’s third loss in seven games. But the German’s dismissal comes against a backdrop of difficulties behind the scenes, amid claims from multiple sources that he had lost the dressing room. There was also said to be a disconnect between Tuchel and the club’s academy. A Chelsea spokesman said: ‘As the new ownership group continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.’