Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly spoke to at least two other candidates before appointing Graham Potter as the club's new head coach this week, it has been revealed.
The Stamford Bridge chief moved quickly to prise Potter away from Brighton once the decision had been made to dismiss Thomas Tuchel, who was officially removed from his post on Wednesday morning. Chelsea received permission to discuss the vacancy with Potter just hours after the German's departure.
The 47-year-old was always the Blues' top-choice to succeed Tuchel - but a new report has revealed that Boehly also approached some of Europe's top up-and-coming coaches before Potter was officially handed the top job.
According to reports in Portugal, Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim was contacted by Chelsea in the days leading up to Tuchel's departure. The highly-rated Portuguese coach has won plenty of plaudits for the impressive job he has done in Lisbon and his stock is at an all-time high after he guided the club to their first Portuguese title in 19 years last term.
The 37-year-old insisted he was fully committed to the project at Sporting Lisbon when quizzed on Chelsea's interest earlier this week. He told O Jogo: "The project I am in is the project I want. I have another year and a half of contract; Chelsea have presented a coach for the next five years.
"I am happy here and I am not thinking about another project."
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Former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino was another high-calibre candidate who was reportedly sounded out by Boehly. The Argentine coach has been out of work since leaving the Parc des Princes earlier this summer and is believed to be waiting for the right opportunity to return to football.
Pochettino was in the running for the Manchester United vacancy earlier this year; however, the Old Trafford hierarchy eventually decided to press ahead with plans to appoint Erik ten Hag instead.
The fact that Pochettino is currently unattached and would be available for free was not enough to deter Boehly from pressing ahead with his plan of action to pinch Potter from the AMEX Stadium.
Potter has established himself as one of the Premier League's most exciting young coaches during his three-year spell at Brighton and has been described as an "innovator" by Chelsea co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Jose E Feliciano.
The 47-year-old guided the Seagulls to their highest ever Premier League finish of ninth last year and the club are currently sat fourth in the standings after a storming start to the new campaign.
Potter has been handed a five-year contract worth in excess of £50million and is set to be given the time to stamp his authority on the current Chelsea squad in a bid to bring success to Stamford Bridge.
