Brighton and Hove Albion boss Graham Potter is the favorite to take over at Chelsea after the surprise sacking of manager Thomas Tuchel in just seven games into the season.
British media reports said former Swansea City and Ostersunds coach Potter held talks with the Stamford Bridge hierarchy on Wednesday after Brighton allowed the 47-year-old to meet him.
Potter, best known as England’s manager in the future, has won many fans for his flashy playing style and Brighton are fourth in the opening Premier League table despite working on a small budget.
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Reports said the Englishman could take the place as Chelsea’s derby at Fulham on Saturday.
Tuchel was axed on Wednesday despite a German coach leading Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 and dealing with a turbulent end to former boss Roman Abramovich’s reign.
Chelsea, bought by Todd Boley’s consortium in late May, defended the timing of the decision, which is understood to have been agreed before a 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League group stage opener on Tuesday .
Chelsea said in a statement: “As the new ownership group approaches 100 days since taking over the club, and continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it It’s time to make a change.”
‘Everything is missing’
Boehly has followed Abramovich’s playbook to quickly remove managers after declining results.
Tuchel are sixth in the Premier League with Chelsea after six matches, three points behind the top four.
The former Paris Saint-Germain boss, who was in charge of Stamford Bridge for less than 20 months, had cut a dismayed figure after admitting “everything is missing” after an embarrassing defeat to Dinamo on Tuesday.
Reports said Tuchel’s relationship with his players had soured and he clashed with owners over his refusal to face a move for veteran Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard in January 2021, immediately adding Steele and focusing on an underperforming squad.
Chelsea, 49, secured their second Champions League victory four months later with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in Porto.
A few days later his contract was extended for two years. But Chelsea hit stormy waters on and off the pitch last season.
Abramovich announced he was selling the club in March, shortly before Britain was hit by sanctions, after the government described him as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.
Despite off-field distractions, Tuchel guided Chelsea to the League Cup and FA Cup finals, both losing to Liverpool on penalties the club won. World Cup and finished third in the Premier League.
Boehly’s union paid a world-record fee of £4.25 billion ($4.9 billion) for a sports franchise to buy Chelsea from Abramovich.
The new owners backed Tuchel in the recent transfer window, which reportedly saw more than £250 million spent on players including Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mark Cucurella, Wesley Fofana and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
But so far the heavy spending has not paid dividends, with damaging defeats against Leeds and Southampton in Zagreb before a nightmare start to their Champions League campaign.
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