Chelsea’s season has been nothing if not turbulent as they continue to adjust to life under new manager Graham Potter.
The ex- Brighton boss succeeded Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked early on in the campaign by new owner Todd Boehly who appears to have adopted the kind of ruthless approach to managers his predecessor Roman Abramovich often deployed.
Potter has only been on the touch line for one game as of yet, a 1-1 home draw in the Champions League group stage against Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg.
The hierarchy above him is still under construction as Chelsea prowl for a sporting director they feel can provide Potter with valuable insight and help steer the Blues in the right direction as their stuttering start to the season has sparked fears over their top four status come the end of the season.
Chelsea currently sit seventh in the league table but do have a game in hand over many of the sides above them as a result of their home clash against Liverpool scheduled for last weekend was postponed.
Mirror Football has collected all the relevant headlines and talking points surrounding the Blues…
Chelsea plotting shock Kane move
The West Londoners’ are rumoured to be planning to offer their city rivals Tottenham Hotspur flop-signing Romelu Lukaku in exchange for their talisman Harry Kane.
Purchased last summer for just shy of £100million, Lukaku has failed to operate anywhere close to the kind of expectations that greeted his second spell at Stamford Bridge. As a result, he is spending the entirety of this season on loan at another of his old sides’ in Inter Milan.
Upon his scheduled return next summer, Chelsea are already planning to offload Lukaku permanently to Spurs in the hopes they are willing to let Kane head in the opposite direction.
Spurs boss Antonio Conte enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Lukaku during their shared time at Inter which saw them lift the Serie A title. The Blues are aiming to test just how strong their bond is in the summer in what would be one of the most shocking switches of the Premier League era should Kane end up donning the Chelsea shirt.
Read the full story HERE.
Blues suffer sporting director blow
Just a few days ago, Chelsea’s effort to land Christoph Freund as their new sporting director looked all set to end successful.
However, that proposed switch from Salzburg to Stamford Bridge is now in tatters after an update from Salzburg chief Stephan Reiter.
"Christoph Freund has been doing excellent work for us for many years and only recently extended his contract until 2026. I can hereby confirm that he will remain sporting director of FC Red Bull Salzburg," read a statement on behalf of Salzburg from Reiter.
"Of course, he informed me about Chelsea FC's interest in him and we exchanged ideas on a personal level and in good conversations. The fact is that he will remain out sporting director!"
First-team manager Matthias Jaissle also discussed the speculation surrounding Freund before confirmation Freund was staying put, adding: “Of course, I noticed that there were rumours, but that didn’t affect me at all. He did an outstanding job together with Reiter and took this path here – they’re doing great.
“It’s logical that absolute world-class teams are interested, but I can’t say what the truth is."
Continue reading about Chelsea's failed pursuit HERE.
Potter’s Chelsea overhaul
The new Blues manager is not the only fresh face around Cobham as Potter has brought five staff members he worked with at Brighton over to West London with him.
Keen to implement his philosophy as soon as possible, Potter feels hiring those who already know his methods is the fastest route to success.
Billy Reid is the most prominent figure within that five, having operated as Potter’s right-hand man since back in his Ostersunds days.
“Billy brings a lot of experience," Potter explained. “Really good with people, building connections with people in the club and someone who the players really enjoy working with.”
Find the full run-down on Potter’s back room staff hires HERE .
