(Football news) Chelsea FC and Graham Potter have reached a verbal agreement a day after Thomas Tuchel was sacked as the team’s manager. The German manager was asked to leave after the Blues lost to Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 in their opening Champions League match in Croatia. Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly was seen in London to discuss with Potter about his potential role at the club and the club’s plans to redevelop the team in the future. The discussions also involved the legal matters as Potter is currently under contract at Brighton as well as his backroom staff. 

While no contracts have been signed, the 47 year old is expected to take over Chelsea imminently as the club are prepared to meet Brighton’s exit clause figure for the manager. The Blues were also linked to Zinedine Zidane, Mauricio Pochettino as well as Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim, but it’s clear that Chelsea’s first target was Graham Potter from the get-go. Despite Potter’s lack of experience of managing a big club, it seems like a calculated gamble for Chelsea as Brighton have improved significantly under his management. The Seagulls, who are currently fourth in the Premier League, now face a difficult task to replace their manager with someone who can continue that upward trajectory.

Potter will be the first managerial appointment for the Todd Boehly’s consortium since their takeover in the summer. Similar to previous owner Roman Abramovich, the new owners are also proving to be quite ruthless, having fired Tuchel just six games into the new Premier League season. It’s clear that once Potter is officially in charge, the expectation will be for him to hit the ground running and deliver instant results. Only time will tell if Potter can make his make at Chelsea or if he would be one of the many managers that will come and go in the new era for the Blues.

Also read: Chelsea part ways with Thomas Tuchel after disappointing results