Chelsea are reportedly eyeing up Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi as one of their candidates to replace Graham Potter following his sacking yesterday.
The Blues hired Potter from Brighton earlier this season after his hugely impressive work during his time in charge of the Seagulls, and although he couldn’t repeat that at Stamford Bridge, it seems they’re now impressed with what De Zerbi has done there too.
The Independent mention De Zerbi as one of a number of names on Chelsea’s list, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be their priority, but it does seem a risky move.
More experienced names like Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique are also listed in the report, and it seems like it would probably be wise to go for coaches like that due to their experience of taking charge of big clubs.
While Potter did fine work to help Brighton punch above their weight, and De Zerbi has done the same, it is not necessarily a guarantee that they’ll be able to transfer those skills to the pressure of delivering instant success with a big club like Chelsea.
The west London giants will want to be playing in the Champions League and winning trophies on a regular basis, and anything less than that will mean the pressure is on very quickly, whereas a team like Brighton must feel like a much more calm environment by comparison.
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