Graham Potter VERBALLY AGREES terms to become Chelsea manager
Graham Potter VERBALLY AGREES terms on a contract to become the next Chelsea manager, with paperwork being finalised ahead of Blues move… as he pulls into Brighton training to say goodbye
- Graham Potter is set to become Chelsea’s new manager after agreeing a deal
- He is likely to be in the dugout for Chelsea’s game against Fulham on Saturday
- The talented Seagulls boss was scheduled to speak to the media on Thursday
- The south coast club confirmed Potter’s press conference has been cancelled
Graham Potter has verbally agreed terms on a contract to become Chelsea’s new manager and he is expected to take position in the dugout for Saturday’s game against Fulham.
Controlling owner Todd Boehly wasted no time in dispensing Thomas Tuchel after the disastrous Champions League loss away to Dinamo Zagreb and he has moved quickly to get Potter.
The Seagulls boss was due to speak to the media on Thursday ahead of his current side’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth, and he was seen pulling into their training base for the last time early on Thursday morning.
Potter, who is going over a few final details of the contract this morning, is expected to be in the Chelsea dugout, along with his Brighton staff, for the Blues’ match against Fulham on Saturday.
Graham Potter has verbally agreed terms on a deal to become the next manager of Chelsea
The Seagulls boss was due to speak to the media on Thursday ahead of Brighton’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth – but that has now been cancelled, given the circumstances
Potter quickly emerged as Chelsea’s No 1 target and he was locked in advanced talks with the Blues on Wednesday night, thrashing out an agreement.
Having made a formal approach to Brighton, Chelsea were granted permission to speak to Potter soon after news broke about Tuchel’s departure.
Those talks are understood to have been led by co-owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali in London on Wednesday afternoon and continued into the evening. Sources said the only way Chelsea would not appoint him is if he turned down the role – which has not proven to be a stumbling block with Potter keen to head for west London.
The identification of Potter as Chelsea’s preferred option to replace Tuchel – who Sportsmail revealed will receive as much as £13million in compensation after his shock dismissal – has come during a period in which the club are without a sporting director.
He is set to be in the Chelsea dugout with his staff for the Blues’ match v Fulham on Saturday
Potter’s Brighton assistant manager Billy Reid (left) is set to be among three staff members that the current Seagulls boss will bring with him to Stamford Bridge
GRAHAM POTTER’S BRIGHTON RECORD
Games played: 134
Won: 43
Drawn: 43
Lost: 48
Goals scored: 161
Goals against: 172
Points: 172
Points per game: 1.28
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.
Potter, 47, 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 south west London.
Tuchel was sacked on Wednesday hours after his side’s 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb, Chelsea’s third loss in seven games.
It is believed the decision was made before the chastening result in Croatia.
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.’
Chelsea, who sixth, will now hope they can get an immediate bounce from the imminent arrival of Potter in a bid to breathe new life in their domestic and Champions League campaigns.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly (right) sensationally sacked Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday
Chelsea had decided to sack Tuchel before his side’s humbling 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb
THOMAS TUCHEL’S FINAL INTERVIEW AS CHELSEA BOSS
‘I’m angry with myself and I’m angry with our performance. I’m angry with myself because I did not see it coming.
‘Obviously I was in the wrong movie.
‘I thought that the last game helped us. I thought we showed a reaction in a very difficult moment against West Ham, got the reaction, got the result in the moments when you need a bit of luck in the situation we were in.
‘We had good training sessions, I thought the team was prepared, I thought we know what this is all about. I didn’t see it coming, that’s why I’m angry with myself.
‘There is too much to analyse – I’m a part of it. We’re clearly not there where we need to be and where we can be, so it’s on me it’s on us.
‘At the moment everything is missing.
‘This is a huge underperformance from all of us. It’s not precise enough, not clinical enough, not aggressive enough.
‘It’s not determined enough and not enough as a team and that’s why we lost.
‘It’s for me to find the solution and find the reason why.
‘Obviously [players] are underperforming individually and I don’t really know where this performance comes from.
‘A lack of determination, a lack of hunger and a lack of intensity to do the things we need at the highest level.
‘We are clearly not where we want to be. We expected what we got. It was the same story of the last few games – we start OK for 15-20 minutes but then lacked determination, precision and maybe even lacked the smell of blood.
‘We need to be much better. We are not finished, we are not happy with our results, we are not happy with the way we play in general, but I thought we were on a good way. I’m surprised by this performance.’
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