Report: Chelsea to hire Brighton's Potter as Tuchel's successor

Chelsea are expected to appoint Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter as their new coach after a positive meeting between the parties Wednesday, reports Fabrizio Romano of The Guardian.

The Blues fired Thomas Tuchel earlier in the day after a rocky start to the new season and identified the Englishman as the ideal successor.

The burgeoning tactician has a £16-million release clause in his contract, according to Julien Laurens of ESPN, which Chelsea are prepared to trigger.

Potter has been with the Seagulls since 2019, arriving from Swansea City. The 47-year-old garnered plenty of praise on the south coast for his progressive tactics and ability to punch above his club's weight. Brighton, on the back of a ninth-place finish last season, currently sit fourth in the Premier League after a strong start to the new campaign.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have just 10 points from their first six league matches. They suffered a humbling 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in their Champions League opener Tuesday. The decision to dismiss Tuchel was apparently made before the setback in Croatia, with co-owner Todd Boehly keen to continue overhauling the club he took control of 100 days ago.

Tuchel was at the helm for 21 months and led Chelsea to a Champions League title in 2021.

Chelsea also approached Mauricio Pochettino, who was viewed as the first choice if a deal for Potter didn't materialize. The former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham coach is currently out of work after departing the French side.