Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino are the two leading candidates to become the next Chelsea manager, football.london understands.
Thomas Tuchel was sacked on Wednesday morning and the club are acting swiftly to find a replacement for the German head coach. Potter, the current manager of Brighton, and Pochettino, who left Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the summer, are the two frontrunners.
The news broke just over 12 hours after Chelsea's 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League. The decision to sack Tuchel may seem like one that was quickly decided, but it's understood that is not the case.
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However, the players did not know about this – or even that something was brewing behind the scenes. It came as a surprise to the first-team squad when they were told of the announcement this morning.
Concerns had grown that Tuchel wasn't the right fit for the ownership group's long-term vision of the club. For example, his hesitancy to remain involved in future transfer business and the club's search for a sporting director, who would've worked alongside the 49-year-old, was far from ideal given the collaborative approach favoured.
The German was then called for a face-to-face meeting with the new owners on Wednesday morning, where he was told about the board's decision to relieve him of his duties.
Chelsea will now go after Potter and Pochettino to replace Tuchel. Potter still has just under three years remaining on his contract at Brighton and has a hefty buyout clause in his deal. Chelsea's new owners, though, have shown recently they are not afraid to spend big to get their man. Brighton have given Potter permission to speak to Chelsea.
Pochettino will be the cheaper option, with the Argentine coach currently not working in football following his recent departure from PSG. Either way, Chelsea will be working swiftly to ensure Tuchel is replaced promptly and correctly.
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