Graham Potter is “ready to return” to management, but where could he go? Here are five possible Premier League destinations for the former Chelsea boss…
Out of work for over 18 months, Potter has taken plenty of time to reset since leaving Stamford Bridge in April 2023.
He’s presumably made the most of this time off by having plenty of lavish holidays funded by the payoff from his five-year Chelsea contract. But he’s got the itch for management again and could foreseeably return before this season finishes.
It has been intimated that the England job could lure Potter back into the game, but his confessed preference for “day-to-day” management suggests he has his eye on another club job when he makes his comeback.
But who could take him? Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur, perhaps? The Big Six pair are among five potential next moves for Potter…
Brentford
Our beloved Tickers was ahead of the curve in predicting Potter’s imminent return as he raised Brentford as a left-field option for the 49-year-old.
While this move could raise a few eyebrows as critics consider whether he could do better than the Bees, it would actually make a lot of sense.
Brentford are unlikely to be without a manager anytime soon as the only way I can see them and Thomas Frank going their separate ways is if the amiable Dane is plucked away by a supposed bigger club.
Pep Guardiola was recently glowing in his praise for Frank, who is said to deserve a “big move”. For whatever reason, the Brentford boss has always been overlooked by the Premier League elite but were this to stop, the London outfit would be wise to turn to Potter.
While the former Chelsea head coach may prefer to hold out for a club with a higher ceiling, few Premier League teams present a lesser risk than Brentford and this move would be sensible as he gets his foot back in the door.
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Everton
Alternatively, Potter could always go the other way and take a risk with relegation-threatened Everton.
The Toffees were one of last season’s surprise packages as they – even with a points deduction – comfortably avoided relegation from the Premier League under Sean Dyche. But their winless start to the season is a cause for concern for supporters in their final season at Goodison Park and this could be the year they *finally* fall through the trap door.
Everton ideally only need to scrape through this campaign without it becoming a disaster ahead of next season’s stadium move as they can look optimistically into the future under new owners, the Friedkin Group.
They could be made to endure plenty of pain in the process and this has pre-emptively seen them linked with former boss David Moyes.
We’ve already given you eight reasons for and against Moyes coming back. The stars could align perfectly for the Scotsman’s return but nostalgia aside, he would be a like-for-like Dyche replacement and the veteran is unlikely to oversee a required seismic change.
Whereas Potter – who is reportedly one of Everton’s preferred alternatives – would forge optimism at the start of a new era by positively overhauling their style of play while the club, for the first time in a while, can look forward rather than purely focusing on stabilising in the Premier League.
Manchester United
While Potter to Man Utd is not quite as dramatic as Vincent Kompany’s undeserved move to Bayern Munich, it would still represent a manager falling upward after a failure.
Potter was one of several managers linked with Man Utd in the summer as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his recruitment dilly-dallied with their supposed post-season review before eventually sticking with Erik ten Hag.
However, Ratcliffe was not overly enthusiastic in his backing of Ten Hag as the Dutchman was only given a measly one-year contract extension and Man Utd’s poor start to the season has their head coach on the plank again.
Man Utd sacking Ten Hag feels inevitable after his frail side made the same old mistakes in their 1-1 draw against FC Twente in midweek and Potter is among the favourites to replace him.
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Tottenham Hotspur
The loveable Aussie became the tetchy Aussie as he was weighed down by Spurs’ uncompromising insistence of diverting into being a shambles. The Ange Postecoglou sack talk was raised again after their poor performance in their North London derby defeat to Arsenal.
Postecoglou put pressure on himself when he insisted after his side’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal that he always achieves success in his second season at a club and it’s certainly about time they put their miserable Europa League record right.
Spurs have racked up three straight wins across all competitions, but his future is far from secure ahead of what could be a decisive match – for both sides – at Old Trafford against Manchester United on Sunday.
Potter was mooted as the perfect candidate for Spurs before Postecoglou arrived. But should Ange-ball continue to deliver mixed results, he could soon be back in the frame.
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West Ham United
The Hammers opted against overseeing a major culture shift in the summer as they replaced Moyes with Julen Lopetegui. The two veteran bosses are renowned for their pragmatic tactical approach and the Spaniard is yet to get the desired results.
On paper at least, the Hammers did some brilliant transfer business in the summer, but their new additions are yet to bed in and Lopetegui is reportedly already under pressure.
Lopetegui did a great job in his short spell at Wolves and is especially respected in Spain. But his move to West Ham was puzzling and if they were willing to appoint the 58-year-old, they may as well have stuck with his Scottish variant.
If the Hammers board do not go running back to Moyes with their tail between their legs, Potter would be an interesting alternative and the Englishman should lap up the challenge of getting the best out of West Ham’s immense breadth of attacking options.