Chelsea paid world-record fee for Graham Potter

Robin Bairner

• 23 Mar 2023 10:40 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea paid Brighton what is thought to be a world-record compensation fee for a manager to secure the services of Graham Potter earlier this season.

The Blues stunned the football world when they went on an ambitious summer spending spree but then sacked manager Thomas Tuchel following a defeat against Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League.

Potter was brought in by the club’s new ownership group, spearheaded by Todd Boehly, and just as Chelsea have spent lavishly on transfers, they have also broken the bank to sign the 47-year-old Englishman, who enjoyed profound success with the Seagulls.

MORE: How much would it cost Chelsea to sack Graham Potter?

Brighton’s accounts have shown exactly how much Chelsea paid to sign Potter.

The Seagulls published their accounts on Wednesday and these showed the Stamford Bridge side splashed £21.5 million to buy Potter out of his contract.

Although details on such transactions are often difficult to pinpoint due to different accounting methods between clubs and countries, it is thought that this is the biggest fee a club has ever paid in such a deal.

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Potter struggling to justify price tag

Chelsea fans, meanwhile, may feel that this deal has short changed the club. Though Potter was backed to an incredible degree in the January transfer window, the Blues still sit 10th in the Premier League – well below their expectations of reaching the Champions League next season.

In particular, the Stamford Bridge side have struggled in front of goal under their new boss, netting only 33 goals in 30 games. Indeed, Potter’s record of 12 wins in these matches is wholly unimpressive.

Prior to a three-game winning streak before the international break, there were calls from Chelsea fans for Potter to be sacked. However, there were signs of improvement in this run, which was stopped by a disappointing home draw against Everton.

Nevertheless, Potter remains under pressure at Chelsea, though having paid Brighton so much to capture the manager, it is understandable why the board are eager to give him time to get things right.