Brighton & Hove Albion has reportedly granted permission for Chelsea to speak with Graham Potter about the vacant managerial position at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues announced on Wednesday morning that Thomas Tuchel had been relieved of his duties, with the London club now searching for a new head coach.
Mauricio Pochettino, who left Paris Saint-Germain over the summer, and ex-Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane are among the names to be linked with the role.
However, Potter is seemingly the club’s number one choice, with the 47-year-old being identified due to his impressive work with Ostersunds, Swansea City and Brighton.
According to Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett, Brighton have allowed Chelsea to open talks with the Englishman over a potential move to Stamford Bridge.
Dorsett claims that Chelsea are seemingly prepared to pay the compensation clause in Potter’s contract, which is believed to be in the region of £16m.
The Brighton boss will allegedly travel to London this afternoon to meet with Blues owner Todd Boehly, with an announcement potentially arriving in the near future.
Potter managed Ostersunds in Sweden for seven years before moving to Swansea, where he spent a year before being appointed Brighton manager in May 2019.
The manager has a record of 42 wins, 46 draws and 47 defeats from 135 matches in charge of the Seagulls, and he led them to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League last term.
Albion have also made an impressive start to the 2022-23 campaign, picking up 13 points from six Premier League matches to sit fourth in the table.
