Chelsea turn attention to Premier League manager also wanted by Tottenham to replace Graham Potter - Reports
Chelsea could reportedly replace Graham Potter with Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi. Talk of the English coach being dismissed by the Blues is intensifying amid their poor campaign.
Potter left Brighton last September to succeed Thomas Tuchel in the Stamford Bridge dugout. However, results have been disappointing during his reign. His side have lost six of their last 11 games across competitions. They sit precariously in tenth place, trailing fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by 14 points.
🗣️ “I’m very, very, very happy.”
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi on how he feels after his side destroyed Chelsea 4-1! 🔥 https://t.co/jwjBLgsg6m
According to Football Insider, Chelsea have a genuine interest in De Zerbi, who replaced Potter at the Amex.
The Italian tactician is highly regarded as a top-level coach by the west Londoners. They are impressed with the immediate success he has had in the English top flight and his track record of developing youth talent. He has propelled Brighton into eighth place and into contention for European qualification. His side have won nine of 20 games since he was appointed in September.
The Blues are publicly sticking with Potter for now, but talks are behind the scenes have begun over a potential change. De Zerbi has earned plaudits for his progressive style of play and is viewed as one of Europe's most exciting young managers.
However, Chelsea aren't the only Premier League club showing an interest. Tottenham are also reportedly admirers of the former Shakhtar Donetsk boss. Antonio Conte's future with Spurs is uncertain, as his contract expires at the end of the season.
De Zerbi's contract expires in 2026, and he joins Brentford's Thomas Frank on the reported list of Premier League managers who are being touted as Potter's potential replacement.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta sympathises with Chelsea's Potter
Arteta is no stranger to feeling the pressure as a Premier League manager. He was heavily linked with the sack when Arsenal made a poor start to last season. They suffered three consecutive league defeats, and the Spaniard was the odds-on favourite to become the first Premier League managerial dismissal.
However, Arteta oversaw a dramatic transformation of the north Londoners, leading them to the cusp of a top-four finish before they fell narrowly short. However, this season, the Gunners are atop the league and are all but certain of clinching UEFA Champions League qualification.
Mikel Arteta was offered a new Arsenal contract after three straight defeats 😅 https://t.co/5u4YDJyEuC
Arteta explained that he knows what Potter is going through at Chelsea. He said (via the Mirror):
"Absolutely, we are colleagues, and we all know the pressure and the demands and the uncertainty that this industry has."
Potter's side have lost ten of their last 17 games across competitions. Arteta continued by pointing out that football is a results game even if setbacks are out of your control, pehaps alluding to the injury crisis the English coach has had at Stamford Bridge:
"At the end of the day, the ball has to go into that net, and there are many factors that can prevent that that are out of your control, so I fully empathise because you suffer and you know how it is when you are going through those moments."
The Blues have 31 points from 24 league games.