Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino are the early favourites to become the new Chelsea manager following Thomas Tuchel’s sacking as a result of Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League.
That result continued Chelsea’s inconsistent start to the campaign, in which they have recorded just three wins from their first seven games in all competitions, and now the hunt for a new manager is quickly underway as the Blues look to turn things around.
And while Chelsea’s coaching staff will take charge of team training and preparation for upcoming matches, Mirror Football takes a look at some of the early front runners for the job at Stamford Bridge.
Graham Potter
Brighton manager Graham Potter has earned a valuable reputation for his work with the Seagulls in recent seasons and was strongly linked with the Manchester United manager’s job before Erik ten Hag’s appointment this summer, while he is tipped to become a future England manager.
The 47-year-old guided Brighton to their highest ever finish in the Premier League last season as they finished ninth, while they are already fourth after six games this season as they continue to impress under the former Swansea City boss.
Potter still has three years remaining on his contract at the south coast club, and with Brighton having no intention of losing their main man, Chelsea will be expected to pay a significant fee should they wish to acquire his services.
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Mauricio Pochettino
The former Spurs manager is another early favourite to take over the reins in west London and has been without a job since being sacked by PSG back in July, despite guiding the club to the Ligue 1 title, which makes him the current front runner for the Chelsea job.
The 50-year-old is most fondly remembered for his time as Tottenham manager, despite not winning a single trophy, as he oversaw almost 300 games in a five-year spell and had a win percentage of 54.27%, whilst guiding them to the Champions League final in 2019.
He took over at PSG in January 2021 but failed to win the league title in his first season, while they were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals, before a last 16 exit came the following campaign. However, his availability makes him an early favourite for the Chelsea job.
Other candidates
Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is also one of the early favourites to take over at Stamford Bridge and like Pochettino, is currently out of a job since leaving the Santiago Bernabeu in May 2021, although he remains as one of the most successful managers in the world.
Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini may also be considered for the role due to his experience of winning the English top flight, and following his failure to qualify Italy for this year’s World Cup, he may be ready to take on a new challenge with the Blues.
Elsewhere on the list is current Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers, who could be considered a surprise candidate following a difficult start to the season with the Foxes as they sit rock bottom of the Premier League, having failed to win any of their six matches.
Next manager odds
Next permanent Chelsea manager odds with betfair.
Graham Potter - 8/11
Mauricio Pochettino - 15/8
Zinedine Zidane - 13/2
Roberto Mancini - 14/1
Brendan Rodgers - 14/1
*odds subject to change
