Here are the early favourites to succeed Thomas Tuchel after the German manager is sacked by Chelsea
Chelsea's sacking of Thomas Tuchel blindsided many on Wednesday morning (7 September), with the German being let go but the club following his side's disappointing 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
However, while it came as a shock to most, the bookies are already offering a number of possible candidates to replace Tuchel, with Brighton and Hove Albion's Graham Potter supposedly leading the way.
The Seagulls have made a fine start to the Premier League this season, most recently hammering Leicester 5-2 at home, but he isn't the only man being linked with one of the most sought after - and precarious - managerial jobs in world football.
According to Sky Bet, the likes of Maurcio Pochettino and even Zinedine Zidane are also being floated as early favourites to take charge at Stamford Bridge.
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As things stand, Potter is 7/4 with SkyBet, and the Englishman would most likely be the easiest to attain.
Next up is Pochettino at 5/2, who is currently out of work after being let go by PSG. Zidane is back at 6/1, and while the former Real Madrid boss is also currently unemployed, he is reportedly waiting until after the 2022 World Cup to see if the France job becomes available.
The odds for next Chelsea manager.
— CFC-Blues (@CFCBlues_com) September 7, 2022
Who do you want? 👇 pic.twitter.com/5elAoRhdiN
Speaking of the World Cup, another man who SkyBet list as an option for the club Is Gareth Southgate, who they have at 16/1. While the England boss joining Chelsea so close to a World Cup seems highly unlikely, stranger things have happened in football.
Also at 16/1 is Juventus manager Max Allegri, with Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone slightly shorter at 12/1.
With Chelsea facing huge barriers to land any of those candidates, it's hardly surprising that Potter is the early favourite with bookmakers.
To this end, Matt Law of The Telegraph reports that the club will seek to hold discussions with him in the near future, as well as Pochettino and Zidane.
🚨 Chelsea are expected to approach Brighton later today for permission to speak to Graham Potter about their manager vacancy. 🔵
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 7, 2022
Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane are also being discussed. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/nf9CYVnIQA
The journalist even mentions Benfica manager Roger Schmidt as a possible option for Chelsea's new owners to explore.
As things stand, however, Potter remains the clear early favourite. The 47-year-old has been in charge of Brighton since 2019, helping steer them to a best Premier League finish of 9th last season. Prior to that, he enjoyed successful stints at Swansea and Ostersund, being named the manager of the year at the Swedish football awards in 2016 and 2017 for his work at the latter.
While Potter would pose a risk, he'd certainly know how to get the best out of Chelsea's new Left-back Marc Cucurella, whom he worked wonders with at Brighton last season.
Would Graham Potter be a good appointment for Chelsea? Let us know what you think.
Topics: Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea, Premier League, Brighton And Hove Albion, Mauricio Pochettino, Zinedine Zidane, Todd Boehly
Tom Fenton