Nagelsmann In: Chelsea given perfect Potter replacement

Tom Hancock

• Updated: 24 Mar 2023 15:01 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea might just have been handed the perfect potential replacement for Graham Potter, after Julian Nagelsmann’s shock sacking by Bayern Munich.

Despite a recent upturn in results, the jury remains out on Potter, with serious doubts as to whether the ex-Brighton boss is the right man for the job long-term at Stamford Bridge.

And now that Nagelsmann is out of work, those doubts might just be about to intensify even further: it’s not every day that one of the top coaches in Europe becomes available.

READ: Which football managers have been sacked this season?

There’s already a Chelsea angle to the Nagelsmann saga: Thomas Tuchel, Potter’s predecessor in the Blues dugout, is expected to be unveiled as the new Bayern head coach.

And that potentially opens up a second Premier League landing spot for Nagelsmann: Tottenham – who had been linked with Tuchel to replace another former Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte, who is widely expected to leave Spurs after launching a scathing attack on the club’s hierarchy last weekend.

While neither Chelsea nor Spurs would be an upgrade on Bayern in terms of club stature, Nagelsmann would get the chance to test himself in a league which, with all due respect to the Bundesliga, presents a markedly sterner challenge.

Benefitting from the Bundesliga

Nagelsmann leaves Bayern after just under two seasons in charge, having succeeded Hansi Flick ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

The 35-year-old – who became the youngest head coach in Bundesliga history when he got his big break with Hoffenheim in 2016 – led Bayern to last season’s title, claiming the first major silverware of his career.

That was Bayern’s 10th successive title under a fourth different manager, though – which arguably says as much about the quality of the competition as it does Nagelsmann’s managerial abilities.