Graham Potter's stock has risen by a remarkable amount over the last number of years. He has worked his way from the lower echelons of Swedish football to the Premier League, with the job he has done at Brighton among the most impressive in the English top flight in recent times.
It was always likely that he was going to be poached for a bigger position sooner or later. However, it was still a surprise to see Chelsea make a move for him last week.
Thomas Tuchel had done a great job at Stamford Bridge, landing them the Champions League and leading them through the turmoil towards the end of the Roman Abramovich era. In saying that, it was also clear that his relationship with new owner Todd Boehly became quickly fractured.
His sacking was a bit of a shock, while the quick pace at which Chelsea appointed Potter also raised some eyebrows.
Paul McGrath questions Graham Potter appointment at Chelsea
It was reported a matter of hours after Tuchel's departure that Graham Potter was the first choice to replace him at Stamford Bridge, meaning Boehly had clearly already decided that he was the man he wanted to appoint.
The whole process was wrapped up within a day, although some are unsure if it was the correct move.
Writing in his column in The Sunday World, Paul McGrath said that Chelsea appointing Potter was a major risk due to his lack of track record at the top level. Instead, he believes that bringing in Mauricio Pochettino or Zinedine Zidane would have made more sense.
So now Graham Potter is handed the reins of the Chelsea chariot.
I didn’t warm to him at Brighton, at first, as he had taken the job of my good pal Chris Hughton who I felt was treated terribly by the club.
But good luck to the Englishman, I now admit he has done a fine job at Brighton, despite the financial realities meaning he had to sell his best player every summer...
When you are Chelsea and you need a manager, it behoves a club that were European Champions last year and are World Club Champions to get nothing but the best.
And right now ‘nothing but the best,’ in terms of available managers, meant either Zinedine Zidane or Mauricio Pochettino.
Instead of going for either man who are free agents, Chelsea paid, it is believed, a total of £22 million to loosen Potter and his coaches from their Brighton contracts. It makes no sense to me.
I know Zidane seems to want to wait for the French national team job after the World Cup Finals, but Chelsea are not short of the money that would have turned his head.
While Pochettino must be wondering what is on earth going on.
Both Manchester United and Chelsea have now passed over a manager good enough to get Spurs to a Champions League final. That makes no sense to me either.
Pochettino was said to be very interested in the job, although this interest was not really reciprocated.
It seems Chelsea are willing to embark on a long-term project with Graham Potter at the helm, although the lack of patience shown by Todd Boehly since buying the club means that this seems like far from a given.
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