Former Chelsea boss rejects second offer to manage top-flight giants amid links of an international role

A former Chelsea head coach has turned down a second offer to return to management and it is thought that he is holding out for another job. Graham Potter has been out of work since his Stamford Bridge dismissal in April 2023.

The ex-Brighton coach was seen as one of the game’s rising stars after successful stints in the South Coast, along with Swansea City and Ostersund FK in Sweden.

But his reign in West London was short lived and he was sacked after less than seven months due to a poor run of form which saw him win just 11 of his opening 31 games, despite having one of the most expensive teams in Premier League history.

Potter remains highly rated in football, due to his ability to develop young players and he also praised for his transfer activity which has seen him unearth some of the game’s finest young talents for cheap prices, including Chelsea’s new recruit Moises Caicedo, who arrived at Brighton for less than £5m back in 2021.

Earlier this month Potter was approached by seven-time French champions Lyon, who are in the market for a new manager after the departure of Laurent Blanc.

The club’s co-owner John Textor was reportedly a big fan of the English coach, but Potter rejected the return to football and said it wasn’t the write time, as reported by David Ornstein of The Athletic. 

But it now appears that yet another club has emerged to try and entice Potter. Scottish giants Rangers have had an underwhelming start to the season, which has seen them lose two of their opening four league matches. They also fell to a demoralising 5-1 defeat in their Champions League play-off game with PSV Eindhoven.

This disappointing start has led to scrutiny on manager Michael Beale and Sun Sport claims that Potter was approached as a potential replacement.

But despite the links it appears that Potter has once again rejected the offer to return to club football and speculation suggests that he is holding out for the England offer.

Reports from the Daily Mail claim that Southgate will leave his post as Three Lions boss at the end of Euro 2024 when his existing contract expires.

Potter is the firm favourite to replace Southgate, according to SkyBet and he has been given odds of 7/1 to take the role after the tournament in Berlin.