The Coach Who Cost £21.5 Million Is Now Available – For Free

It isn’t just players who cost gazillions in this Premier League of 2024. And of course, just like players, spending huge amounts on a manager / head coach doesn’t guarantee success as my ‘mixed reaction’ article of Saturday suggested. (You can read it here). indeed, from comments made by our high ranking source at the club, West Ham don’t pay compensation for managers – so whichever option the irons go with, it will be an unemployed one.

Teamtalk.com have just published a very interesting list of the ‘top ten most expensive football managers of all time’: Not just Premier League, anywhere..I decided out of curiosity to take a look and – I’m sure you’ll share my surprise to see who was in second spot- the second most expensive manager of all time (and only pipped to top spot by a couple of hundred k) was none other than Graham Potter.

Incredibly, the now out of work former Brighton and Chelsea coach is almost THE most expensive of all time! as the report states:

Potter earned widespread plaudits for his work with Brighton & Hove Albion, and he implemented an attractive style of football at the Amex Stadium.

The 49-year-old also impressed Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali and they hired him as Thomas Tuchel’s successor in September 2022.

While original reports suggested that Chelsea had triggered a £15million release clause in his Brighton contract, it’s since been revealed that the exact figure was £21.5million. ” And the irony – fired after 31 games.

Available now on the managerial equivalent of a Bosman,  Potter was paid if memory serves me right about £200,000 a week by Chelsea after he was fired , which lasted 18 months. And has just finished.

However -the wisdom of appointing who the independent (inews.co.uk )just today described as “yesterdays’ man” is another matter.