Graham Potter is still at risk as Chelsea manager, as the Blues are reportedly eyeing a ‘shock’ swoop for Julian Nagelsmann in the event of a ‘poor end’ to the season.
Chelsea’s time under Potter has not been the best. The Blues were sixth when former manager Thomas Tuchel was sacked in September.
Six months on and they’re 10th, below Fulham and Brentford and level on points with Aston Villa.
To Potter’s credit, the Blues are in the Champions League quarter-finals. They’ll face holders Real Madrid across two legs in the hopes they can advance.
However, a side like Chelsea should not be in such a poor position in the league. After a spend of £500million in the past two transfer windows, they’re massively underachieving.
Todd Boehly has had ample opportunity to get rid of Potter. That might not look like the best move after only ridding the club of his predecessor in September, but it wouldn’t be without good reason.
However, despite the poor league position, reports have suggested the chairman intends to give Potter ‘far more’ than half a season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
That viewpoint does not seem to be without its caveats, though.
Nagelsmann in line if season ends poorly
Indeed, Football Insider reports Chelsea have a manager lined up to take over from Potter. That’s former Bayern Munich boss Nagelsmann, in what is described as a ‘shock’ swoop.
That report suggests though the Blues intend to keep faith with Potter, a ‘poor end to the campaign’ could see them turn in Nagelsmann’s direction.
The German coach has just been sacked by Bayern and replaced by Tuchel. It would be quite the turn of events if in the space of a few months, the pair took the other’s previous role.
The appointment of Nagelsmann might be easier said than done. Indeed, London rivals Tottenham are seemingly keen to appoint him in the summer, with Antonio Conte likely to leave at the end of his deal.
Nagelsmann seems to have given the green light to that move, with reports suggesting he is ‘open to talks’ over the role.
However, Football Insider suggests Chelsea ‘haven’t ruled out a move to hijack Nagelsmann’ from Spurs. With their financial might, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility they’d be able to do so.
They might need to think about doing so, too, as there’s a chance the campaign does end poorly.
The Blues still have to play Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Arsenal, which could mean for a few losses.
Nagelsmann may not be a forward move
Nagelsmann is clearly a quality coach. He’s had success, having won the Bundesliga with Bayern as well as winning the German Super Cup on two occasions.
He also finished as runner up in the Bundesliga in 2020/21 and was named the league’s manager of the year in 2016/17 while managing Hoffenheim.
However, Bayern were clearly not convinced he could take them forwards. He’s not had a lot of experience coaching big names, and perhaps he wasn’t up to the task of continuing a dynasty.
For Chelsea, then, he might not be a dissimilar manager to Potter. He has won more, but their levels of experience are fairly similar.
Perhaps a move to Stamford Bridge might prove he can make the required change, but he also might not be able to cope with the amount of big stars he has at his disposal.
