Chelsea are aiming to appoint a sporting director before the World Cup in November and new head coach Graham Potter will be involved in the selection process, sources have told ESPN.
Blues co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have met with several potential candidates and are keen to make an announcement before the mid-season domestic break to allow their new appointment time to influence planning for the January transfer window.
– Olley: Inside Chelsea’s transfer strategy between Boehly & Tuchel
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)
Sources have told ESPN that former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards informed the club last month he did not wish to be considered for the role, although it is unclear how he would react to a fresh approach.
Former head coach Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked on Wednesday, had previously expressed his relief at not being asked for his advice on the position but, in what represents a shift in philosophy from the new owners, Potter’s opinion will be taken into account before a final decision is made.
Potter’s appointment on a five-year contract was confirmed on Thursday afternoon and sources told ESPN his style of play and ability to improve players through coaching ranked as key reasons why they chose the 47-year-old.
Sources say Boehly and Eghbali addressed the first-team squad at Cobham for around 15 minutes on Wednesday following Tuchel’s departure, reassuring them about the future, before speaking with multiple managerial candidates — including former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino — prior to deciding on Potter. Several unnamed alternatives also nominated themselves for consideration.
Boehly appointed himself as interim sporting director following the departures of lead negotiator and club director Marina Granovskaia and technical and performance adviser Petr Cech, both leaving after Roman Abramovich’s sale of the club at the end of May.
Alongside Eghbali with input from Tuchel, Boehly oversaw Chelsea’s record spend in a single transfer window, committing more than £250 million on nine new players including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly.
