Chelsea paid world record compensation for Graham Potter

The English manager left Brighton mid-season to replace Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have paid £21.5m to Brighton to hire Graham Potter as Thomas Tuchel’s replacement.

The Blues sacked Tuchel in early September despite their massive spending in the summer transfer window. Shortly after, Todd Boehly unveiled his new choice to take charge at Stamford Bridge.

Brighton’s impressive start to the season under Potter convinced Chelsea’s new owners to trust him with the job. The Seagulls’ latest accounts for the 2021-22 season show the Blues paid a massive compensation fee to hire their new manager.

According to Nizaar Kinsella, Brighton received £21.5m to terminate Potter’s contract. The Evening Standard journalist claims this is the highest compensation fee ever paid to transfer a manager.

Potter made a solid start at Chelsea but came under heavy criticism for his side’s poor run of results afterwards. Rumours about Chelsea’s possible decision to sack the 47-year-old surfaced in the English media for a few weeks.

However, the Blues have shown signs of improvement in their most recent displays. Potter’s men qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals while winning three of their last four games across all competitions.

Chelsea will host Aston Villa in their next league game on April 1. Let’s see if the Blues can maintain their promising form after the international break.