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JUST IN: Tony Bloom Speaks Highly of Kieran McKenna but Says Graham Potter…
Graham Potter and Brighton have had discussions over Potter’s possible return to the team, but Brighton isn’t going to jump into anything after losing out on Kieran McKenna of Ipswich.
Potter, who moved from Brighton to Chelsea in September 2022, is an unexpected candidate to succeed Roberto De Zerbi following the Italian’s mutually agreed-upon exit.
Before the Northern Irishman committed his future to Ipswich by signing a new four-year contract, amid interest from Chelsea and Manchester United as well, Tony Bloom, the owner of Brighton, had made McKenna his top target.
David Weir, the technical director of Brighton and Bloom, is in charge of hiring and is rumored to have expressed interest in Potter despite his contentious exit following Brighton’s ninth-place finish in 2022.
The 49-year-old, who has been unemployed since Chelsea fired him after 31 games, is rumored to be on United’s shortlist in the event that Erik ten Hag is fired after he turned down the chance to take over at Ajax.
Bloom and Weir will take their time evaluating the remaining applicants, who are rumored to include Henrik Rydström of Malmö and Steve Cooper, the former manager of Nottingham Forest. About the ties to his countryman Rydström, Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari told the Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet:
“Honestly? Is it merely hearsay? How ill! He is a fantastic coach who enjoys playing competitive football. Given that Brighton looks at statistics and data, the rumor can’t be wholly unfounded. In the Allsvenskan, the premier level in Sweden, he has excellent statistics.
Some Brighton fans still hold Potter in low regard due to remarks he made about the team following his transfer to Chelsea, such as the statement, “If I wanted a nice easy life, I could have stayed working at Brighton.”
In the last two years, eleven players or staff members have moved from Brighton to Chelsea; the most recent departure was that of Sam Jewell, the head of recruitment, in February.
In De Zerbi’s penultimate game, Brighton’s loss to Chelsea last month was marred by jeers directed at Moisés Caicedo and Marc Cucurella. At the conclusion of De Zerbi’s final game, against Manchester United, Brighton’s supporters sang, “We want you to stay,” but the Italian had already decided to go because of what were reportedly irreconcilable issues with Bloom. He and United have been connected.
