Graham Potter, the manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, is said to have agreed to become the new manager of Chelsea.
After Chelsea sacked Champions League-winning coach Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday morning, the Englishman quickly emerged as the front-runner for the vacant Stamford Bridge post.
The Blues are said to have spoken with Mauricio Pochettino as well, but Potter was their first choice, and talks between the two parties are said to have gone well.
Brighton granted Chelsea permission to speak with their manager yesterday, and the London club is now hoping to complete the meeting today.
Potter is said to have indicated his willingness to take over at Chelsea after meeting with Todd Boehly, who fired Tuchel exactly 100 days after taking over the club.
The 47-year-old former Swansea City boss Potter is now expected to be appointed in time to take charge of Saturday’s West London derby against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Reports have suggested that Chelsea will have to pay up to £20m in compensation to prise Potter away from the Amex Stadium, in addition to the £15m that it is rumored to have cost them to sack Tuchel.
The Blues are coming off the most expensive transfer window in English football history, having spent more than £250 million on new players this summer.
Potter will take over a team that has lost three of their last five games in all competitions, including a 1-0 Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday, Tuchel’s 100th and final match as manager.
Chelsea is currently ranked tenth in the Premier League, five points behind early leaders Arsenal after six games.
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