Chelsea revolution: Potter just the beginning of new long-term strategy

FT Desk

11 Sept 2022 08:59 BST
3 min read

Thomas Tuchel may have fallen out with new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly over transfers this summer, but Graham Potter's appointment as his replacement as manager is just the start of a bigger change behind the scenes.

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Tuchel and Boehly are understood to have clashed over a number of transfers at Chelsea this summer. The American billionaire wanted to sign the market-friendly Cristiano Ronaldo when his availability at Manchester United became apparent; Tuchel thought the Portuguese would disrupt his team on and off the field.

*glass smashes*

Oh my God… Is that Thomas Tuchel’s entrance music?! pic.twitter.com/GGnFJlYeKV
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 14, 2022

While Boehly wanted to implement his "Vision 2030" project - Ronaldo aside - Tuchel was lukewarm about a move for Everton's England under-21 winger Anthony Gordon before sanctioning the permanent sale of former academy jewel Billy Gilmour to Brighton - ironically, the club Potter arrived from.

"The initial first 100-day analysis of the new regime is that, despite the 2021 Champions League win, they are far behind Manchester City and they want to catch up," write the Daily Mail. "The £250million [€286m] spent this summer is designed to accelerate that.

"But there is more work to be done."

New sporting director and president of business

The report then goes on to highlight two key positions that are to be filled: namely that of president of business and sporting director.

The business role should be fulfilled by Tom Glick, who was most recently president of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. He is expected to help upgrade Stamford Bridge as he did the Panthers' Bank of America Stadium.

The sporting director position is further away from being filled, although Monaco's Paul Mitchell is an early frontrunner. The relationship with Potter, and his long-term head of recruitment Kyle Macauley, will be key to this appointment.

Chelsea were sixth in the Premier League, five points of leaders Arsenal after six games played, when play was suspended throughout the UK due to Queen Elizabeth II's death.

They lost Tuchel's final game in charge - an abject 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.