Chelsea wasted £42m on Graham Potter despite avoiding nightmare payout

Interim boss Bruno Saltor on 'tough' 24 hour period for Chelsea

Chelsea wasted £42million, including around £7m in wages, on Graham Potter’s disastrous spell as head coach. Todd Boehly may have avoided an eye-watering £50m pay-off to terminate his contract after just seven months, but the Blues’ finances have still taken a serious hit.

On Sunday, Chelsea confirmed they had sacked Potter after a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge left them slumped in 11th in the Premier League.

The 47-year-old signed a five-year contract when he left Brighton and Hove Albion to replace Thomas Tuchel in September.

Because four-and-a-half months of his deal remained after his departure, there were initial fears that Chelsea would have to pay Potter what he would’ve earned up until his 2027 expiry.

However, the west Londoners and the English coach struck an agreement on a severance package after parting ways.

It may have saved Chelsea millions, but Boehly has undoubtedly still suffered an almighty loss less than a year after he bought the club with Clearlake Capital.

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The Mail report that Potter will receive in the region of £13m in compensation after his sacking.

That follows a £22m handed to Brighton to lure him from the Amex Stadium last year.

Combined with the £10m sent to Tuchel in compensation after his dismissal, Boehly and Clearlake have seen over £50m dissolve over a nine-month period on two coaches no longer at the club.

It leaves Chelsea in a precarious position ahead of the summer transfer window.

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The Blues confirmed losses of £121m for the 2021/22 season last week, which didn’t include the £550m splashed on players since the 2022 takeover.

With the club also 12 points outside the top four, they likely face a monumental decrease in income next season by failing to qualify for the Champions League.

Chelsea have confirmed that Potter’s assistant Bruno Saltor will take interim charge while they search for a permanent successor.

And it’s crucial they get that decision correct to avoid another financial blow that could come back to bite in the long run.

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