Graham Potter has been labelled a 'first-class' manager by someone who used to employ him as Chelsea prepare for an announcement.
The Blues have been in the short process of trying to replace Thomas Tuchel, who was shown the door in the early hours of Wednesday and are now close 24 hours to having their guy ready for action. Graham Potter has always been the first choice, and the speed at which this deal has moved along suggests a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes prior to this all kicking off. football.london understands that hiring a new manager started to come on the agenda way before the Dinamo Zagreb loss and Boehly and Co felt this was the right time to make the change ahead of the big west London derby this weekend in the Premier League.
With this in mind, Potter has already said his goodbyes to Brighton and, if all goes well, should be confirmed no later than Thursday night as he's expected to get straight into the thick of it all. Tuchel's soon-to-be successor is set to sign a five-year deal and bring a coaching team that's had his trust in at various clubs.
READ MORE: Graham Potter agrees to become new Chelsea head coach after Thomas Tuchel exit
The Athletic's Andy Naylor tweeted: 'The expectation internally at Brighton last night was that assistant Billy Reid, coach Bjorn Hamberg and recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay would all join Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge. They came as a team of four and have worked together for a decade.
'There was some uncertainty about the future of former long-serving captain Bruno Saltor, who Potter added to his coaching group.'
In total, four specialists trusted by Potter could all be joining him on this new adventure in SW6. The final list of who has been appointed is set to be revealed during the announcement.
Amid doubts that this could be a step too far for the former Ostersunds and Swansea manager, one of his former employers in South Wales has had only good things to say. This should calm any remaining doubts some supporters have about this appointment. Potter has been labelled a 'downgrade' by rival fans since Wednesday, and he will be out to prove them wrong.
Alan Curtis, who worked closely with Chelsea's soon-to-be new manager, has said on Sky Sports: "I think everybody can see that they are going to get a first-class manager.
"He's an excellent coach, good communicator, and I guess the proof of the pudding is that he produces teams that play great, attractive football. Of course, with Brighton at the moment, they are winning games as well, so it's a great combination.
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