Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly granted permission for Chelsea to speak with Graham Potter about the vacant managerial position at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues announced on Wednesday morning that Thomas Tuchel had been relieved of his duties, with the London club now searching for a new head coach.
Mauricio Pochettino, who left Paris Saint-Germain over the summer, and ex-Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane are among the names to be linked with the role.
However, Potter is seemingly the club's number one choice, with the 47-year-old being identified due to his impressive work with Ostersunds, Swansea City and Brighton.
According to Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett, Brighton have allowed Chelsea to open talks with the Englishman over a potential move to Stamford Bridge.
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Dorsett claims that Chelsea are seemingly prepared to pay the compensation clause in Potter's contract, which is believed to be in the region of £16m.
The Brighton boss will allegedly travel to London this afternoon to meet with Blues owner Todd Boehly, with an announcement potentially arriving in the near future.
Potter managed Ostersunds in Sweden for seven years before moving to Swansea, where he spent a year before being appointed Brighton manager in May 2019.
The manager has a record of 42 wins, 46 draws and 47 defeats from 135 matches in charge of the Seagulls, and he led them to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League last term.
Albion have also made an impressive start to the 2022-23 campaign, picking up 13 points from six Premier League matches to sit fourth in the table.
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Tuchel's final game in charge of Chelsea proved to be the 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Tuesday, but the decision to sack the German was reportedly made before that fixture.
"Chelsea Football Club has today parted company with Head Coach Thomas Tuchel," read the club's statement on Wednesday morning, as his departure was confirmed.
"On behalf of everyone at Chelsea FC, the Club would like to place on record its gratitude to Thomas and his staff for all their efforts during their time with the Club. Thomas will rightly have a place in Chelsea's history after winning the Champions League, the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his time here.
"As the new ownership group reaches 100 days since taking over the Club, and as it continues its hard work to take the club forward, the new owners believe it is the right time to make this transition.
"Chelsea's coaching staff will take charge of the team for training and the preparation of our upcoming matches as the Club moves swiftly to appoint a new head coach."
Chelsea are due to resume their Premier League campaign against Fulham on Saturday afternoon.
Matt Law
