Graham Potter ‘has to deliver now’ as Nagelsmann tempts Boehly into Chelsea action
Graham Potter has been told he ‘has to deliver now’ as Julian Nagelsmann’s departure from Bayern Munich could tempt Chelsea owner Todd Boehly into action.
Potter has been under pressure at Chelsea for much of his time at Stamford Bridge, with Boehly and his fellow bosses consistently coming out in support of the former Brighton boss.
And results have improved of late, with Chelsea unbeaten in their last four and producing their best display under Potter as they defeated Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League to qualify for the quarter-finals.
That result led many to suggest that he would at least last the season in west London, but Nagelsmann’s exit from Bayern may have thrown a spanner in the works.
The 35-year-old is heavily linked with Spurs, who parted company with Antonio Conte this week, and Sky Sport Germany reporter Florian Plettenburg confirmed the club have made ‘a casual request’ for his services.
He tweeted: ‘@SpursOfficial definitely interested! There has already been a casual request but no concrete talks or negotiations. Been told it’s unlikely that he will replace Conte immediately. He wants to take his time.’
Might he be waiting for a better offer? Plettenburg also reports that although the Chelsea bosses ‘support’ Potter, the Blues boss ‘has to deliver now’ as Nagelsmann is among those on the shortlist to replace him at Stamford Bridge, and they wouldn’t want to miss out on him.
He tweeted: ‘News #Nagelsmann: Understand he’s on the shortlist of #CFC! In case that Potter should be dismissed. But important: Chelsea wants to continue with Potter, the bosses support him. But he has to deliver now! JN is unlikely to take over a new job immediately.’
Thomas Tuchel, whom Potter replaced at Chelsea, is now in the Bayern hotseat and says he is looking forward to the “pressure and stress” of fighting on three fronts for the rest of the season.
He said: “We have to build on the starting position that Julian has created with the team, that we have a chance of winning the trophy in all three competitions.
“There are risks involved, of course. But we love the pressure and the stress. My love for the game is much greater than any concerns. It’s about approaching the task with confidence – we want to be contenders for all three trophies.”