Chelsea : Nagelsmann favorite to replace Potter

Graham Potter will not have resisted the new defeat of Chelsea against Aston Villa on Saturday. The former Brighton coach was dismissed on Sunday evening by the London club, which appointed Bruno Saltor as interim coach.

But as the Blues will challenge Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Champions League on April 12 and 18, the arrival of a new head coach is expected quickly and one name is coming back with insistence: Julian Nagelsmann.

The talented 35-year-old German coach was fired during the international break by Bayern Munich while he was still in contention for a resounding treble and his name has also been linked to Tottenham, which has parted ways with Antonio Conte in recent days.

Bayern will demand compensation for Nagelsmann

But according to several sources, including Fabrizio Romano, Nagelsmann is now the favorite to replace Graham Potter on the Chelsea bench. His name was mentioned internally yesterday and his profile is appreciated by the London club.

🚨🔵 Julian Nagelsmann is the favorite candidate to replace Graham Potter as new Chelsea head coach, as reported yesterday. CFC

Nagelsmann was mentioned yesterday during internal discussions — Julian is considered a talented coach.

Talks are ongoing to make best decision. pic.twitter.com/Y2QmqvoBTS

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 2, 2023

Florian Plettenberg, a well-known German journalist for Sky Sports, has been talking about Chelsea's interest in Nagelsmann for several days and confirmed this Sunday evening that some of the English club's directors absolutely want him.

News Nagelsmann: CEO Kahn said in our show Sky90 tonight that he doesn’t expect him to overtake a new club this season. But it was before Potter has been sacked. Nothing changed: Nagelsmann the favorite for some of the Chelsea bosses. More to come. CFC @SkySportDE 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/t75Fv7NY3Q

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) April 2, 2023

Important clarification, Nagelsmann is still under contract with Bayern until 2026, even though he is no longer its coach, and the German club will demand a transfer fee to release him according to Plettenberg. As Thomas Tuchel wants to get Chelsea's assistant coach Anthony Barry back in Munich, it would not be surprising if the two clubs find a common ground.

Also note that if Chelsea eliminates Real Madrid and Bayern Munich takes out Manchester City, Chelsea and Bayern will meet in the semi-finals of the Champions League. This could offer us a tasty duel between Nagelsmann and Tuchel...