Time is running out for Graham Potter to turn things around at Chelsea, as Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Tottenham left the Blues languishing in tenth position in the Premier League.
It now seems as if Toddy Boehly and the Chelsea board could turn to Brighton once again as they search for a replacement for the Englishman, with Roberto De Zerbi reportedly on their shortlist of potential new managers.
Could Chelsea appoint Roberto De Zerbi?
According to Football Insider, the Blues have a real interest in appointing the Brighton boss and he would be keen on a Stamford Bridge switch, having built on the impressive work done by Potter at the Amex Stadium.
The 43-year-old took over at the south coast club following Potter’s move to Chelsea and has steered the Seagulls to eighth in the Premier League table, as well as helping them earn a spot in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
While reports have suggested that Boehly wants to follow Arsenal’s model of sticking with Mikel Arteta in tough times, the Blues have spent huge amounts of money and look in real danger of missing out on any European football this season, scoring just once in their last six fixtures.
Could De Zerbi be Boehly’s dream Potter replacement?
De Zerbi has previously impressed with Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk, delivering a superb 2.17 points per game average during his time with the Ukrainian champions, while he has mustered an impressive 1.62 points per game at Brighton.
Potter, meanwhile, has amassed an embarrassingly low 1.31 points per game with Chelsea thus far, having managed just 1.28 points per game with the Seagulls, which suggests that De Zerbi could be a big upgrade at Stamford Bridge.
Italian journalist Carlo Garganese sang his praises back in January after Brighton demolished Everton 4-1 at Goodison Park.
He wrote: “De Zerbi is such a special talent. You can see why he’s seen as the successor to Pep. His best quality is how he improves & develops players, especially youngsters.”
Given the Spaniard’s sensational career with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, which has seen him win ten league titles and two Champions Leagues, Boehly would surely be foolish to turn down the opportunity to appoint someone likened to the legendary coach.
Despite inheriting a new squad of players at Brighton, the Italian manager has managed to quickly produce front-foot, exciting football, which has seen the Seagulls lose just twice since the World Cup break.
Chelsea need only to look at the form Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March are showing in this Brighton side, with ten goals and five assists between them in the league this season, to see how De Zerbi can get the best out of his wide players.
At Stamford Bridge meanwhile, Chelsea’s plethora of wing options, which includes Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Christian Pulisic, Noni Madueke and Hakim Ziyech, have managed just nine goal contributions between them this season.
Boehly evidently wants to invest in a young manager with a clear philosophy on how he wants his side to play, so it would not be a surprise to see him return to Brighton again for a ‘special’ replacement should Potter get the sack.
