Chelsea will have to stump up an enormous £16million to appoint Graham Potter as their new boss following Thomas Tuchel's exit on Wednesday.
The Blues are on the hunt for a new manager after saying goodbye to Tuchel. The German enjoyed a successful 20-month spell at Stamford Bridge, winning the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup, as well as reaching three other finals.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who succeeded Roman Abramovich in May, sacked Tuchel after Tuesday's surprise 1-0 Champions League defeat by Dinamo Zagreb. Chelsea were Europe's highest spenders in the summer, investing more than £250million in the squad.
Boehly and other Chelsea chiefs are drawing up a shortlist for their next manager. Mauricio Pochettino, Brendan Rodgers, Zinedine Zidane, Marcelo Bielsa, Roberto Martinez and Potter are among those expected to be considered for the role.
Yet it will cost Boehly a pretty penny if he wants to appoint Potter. It's believed the Brighton manager's release clause is a whopping £16m. Potter still has nearly three years remaining on his existing deal, signed in December 2019.
That would make Potter one of the most expensive managers in history. The record is held by Julian Nagelsmann, with Bayern Munich paying RB Leipzig €25million (£21.6m) to bring the highly-rated German coach to the Allianz Arena in the summer of 2021.
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Despite Potter's eye-watering release clause, Chelsea have previously shown they are willing to break the bank for a manager. In the summer of 2011, they paid Porto €15m (£12.9m) to bring Andre Villas-Boas to Stamford Bridge - only to sack him nine months later.
Potter might just be worth the investment. The 47-year-old is regarded as one of the best managers in English football. He made a name for himself in Sweden, leading Ostersund to three promotions and into the Europa League after winning the national cup.
After his one-year spell at Swansea, Brighton snapped up Potter in May 2019. He managed to avoid relegation during his first two seasons in charge and led them to ninth in the Premier League last term, all while playing an attractive style of football.
Discussing Brighton's style of play under Potter in October 2021, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said: "They know exactly what to do. They make the build-up with a good 'keeper, they have four at the back. They occupy perfectly the ball.
"They have runners high and wide with a winger. It does not matter if they are wing-backs, full-backs or wingers. And after that, they create the spaces for the people in the middle. They press aggressive, and they have courage to play.
"So all the things I would like as a spectator, what I would like to see in my team, I see it and I identify with this team. Above all, Graham is a gentleman. I think for English football, it is so good to have a manager like Graham."
