Brighton & Hove Albion have cancelled Graham Potter’s pre-Bournemouth press conference, as the club’s head coach appears to be on his way to Chelsea.
However, the Englishman is understood to be close to becoming Chelsea’s new manager, having been named as the number one target to replace Thomas Tuchel, who was fired on Wednesday morning.
Potter is believed to have arrived in London on Wednesday afternoon for negotiations with Chelsea, with the London club understood to be willing to pay the compensation fee in his Seagulls deal, which is thought to be between £16m and £20m.
Why Did Brighton Cancel Graham Potter’s Press Conference?
According to The Athletic, Brighton opted to cancel the press conference ahead of the Bournemouth game because they felt it would be pointless to subject him to questions about his impending exit.
Potter is expected to be in the Chelsea dugout for Saturday’s game against Fulham, with an announcement on his arrival likely on Thursday.
The 47-year-old spent seven years as manager of Ostersunds in Sweden before transferring to Swansea City for a year before being appointed Brighton manager in the summer of 2019.
Potter has a record of 42 wins, 46 draws, and 47 loses in 135 games as manager of the Seagulls, who finished ninth in the Premier League last season.
Related: Graham Potter Verbally Agrees To Take Chelsea Job
Brighton have also had a solid start to the 2022-23 season, earning 13 points from six games to sit fourth in the table, three points and two spots ahead of Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino has also been connected with the job, with the Argentine available immediately after leaving his position as manager of Paris Saint-Germain over the summer.
Zinedine Zidane and Ruben Amorim of Sporting Lisbon have also been mooted as potential contenders, but Potter appears to be on the verge of landing the position, and he might be joined by recruitment analyst Kyle Macaulay and first-team coach Billy Reid.
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