Chelsea have contacted Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter to convince him to take the job as head coach, according to The Telegraph.
The Blues fired former head coach Thomas Tuchel this morning after a shocking loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
The London club have won only 50% of their six league games after spending over £250 million on nine new players.
However, the sacking is part of a deeper breakdown in the relationship between Chelsea chief Todd Boehly and Tuchel.
Tuchel’s insistence on doing things in isolation did not go well with the LA Dodgers co-owner, who wants to build an inclusive environment at the club.
Chelsea are now looking to hire Potter to replace Tuchel. Brighton have given permission for Chelsea to speak with their manager.
There is a £16 million release clause in Potter’s contract that runs until 2025. The former Ostersunds FK manager is likely to be interested in joining Chelsea.
Potter has impressed at Brighton since joining the club in 2019 from Swansea City. The Seagulls are fourth in the Premier League table after a flying start to the campaign.
They play attractive football that has helped them punch above their weight under Potter.
However, Potter has never managed a Champions League game. His last European game was with Ostersund against Arsenal in the Europa League.
Potter spent seven seasons in Sweden and managed 224 games. He recorded 109 wins, 56 draws and 59 losses at the club.
He subsequently left for Swansea. He managed the Welsh club for 51 games, recording 21 wins, 11 draws and 19 losses.
Potter has won 43 and drawn 43 of his 134 games in charge of Brighton and is now amongst the front-runners for the Chelsea job.
The Blues have also shortlisted Zinedine Zidane and Mauricio Pochettino in case a deal for Potter falls through.
Pochettino was a target for Chelsea under Roman Abramovich, and they could reignite their interest in the Argentine manager.
