With Graham Potter reportedly agreeing terms to take charge of Chelsea, Brighton could soon find themselves searching for a new manager.
Brighton finished 15th and then 16th in Potter’s first two seasons in charge of the club, but it was the ninth-place finish in 2021-22 that saw the Englishman’s stock rise.
Outperforming clubs with greater resources, Brighton have also recorded several wins over Big Six sides in 2022 – against Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester United twice – with Potter credited for masterminding these performances.
Ultimately, Potter’s approach has turned heads, and now with Chelsea looking to poach the 47-year-old, Brighton may need to find a replacement capable of maintaining their strong start to the current campaign.
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Brendan Rodgers
One football year can feel like decades. Not long ago Leicester were the in-form club disrupting the order and breaking up the Big Six, qualifying for the Europa League and pushing for the Champions League.
That saw Rodgers linked with a several open or potential vacancies. He reiterated his desire to stay at Leicester amid reported interest from Tottenham in April 2021, he was deemed a potential replacement if Arsenal sacked Mikel Arteta this time last year, and was at one point Manchester United’s preferred candidate to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
A penny for Rodgers’ thoughts now, though, with Leicester propping up the Premier League table after a winless start to the season and most recently losing 5-2 at Brighton.
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That has pushed Rodgers closer to the exit door at the King Power Stadium, but whether Brighton would want to hire the manager of a team they overwhelmingly outplayed on Sunday is a point that could work against the Northern Irishman.
Still, it would be a fresh challenge for Rodgers, and one that may suit all parties.
Ange Postecoglou
A manager of the Scottish champions leaving for a Premier League side. We’ve been here before, with Rodgers swapping Celtic for Leicester in 2019 and then Steven Gerrard leaving Rangers for Aston Villa last year.
So, would Ange Postecoglou follow suit? Unlike Rodgers and Gerrard when they jumped ship, Postecoglou’s Celtic are in the Champions League group stages, and that could have a major say if the Australian is offered the chance to stick or twist.
It could also come down to whether Postecoglou believes managing Brighton is a greater or more worthwhile challenge, and – if Potter leaves – there is every chance he will be asked the question soon. Celtic fans will be listening intently.
Felice Mazzu
The man who oversaw Union SG’s return to the big time in Belgium is now deemed a contender to take charge of Brighton.
Mazzu steered Union SG to promotion in 2020-21 before they finished top of the Jupiler Pro League regular season in 2021-22.
Next Brighton manager odds
- Brendan Rodgers: 9-2
- Ange Postecoglou: 5-1
- Felice Mazzu: 5-1
- Kjetil Knutsen: 6-1
- Thomas Frank: 15-2
- Nathan Jones: 9-1
Odds via Betfair and correct time of writing on 8 September
In the play-off stage they missed out on the title to Club Brugge, and with it the Champions League group spot on offer, and Mazzu was then snapped up by Anderlecht to replace the now Burnley manager Vincent Kompany.
It means Mazzu has only been in the role for less than four months, but he may find a Premier League job offer too good to turn down.
Kjetil Knutsen
Mazzu is not alone in being recognised for his efforts beyond the UK, with Knutsen also among the bookies’ contenders to take the Brighton role.
Knutsen has been in charge of Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt since the start of 2018, with the club winning the Eliteserien in both 2020 and 2021.
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The club are currently second in the 2022 campaign (Norway’s domestic season started in April) and have also been drawn in Arsenal’s Europa League group.
They narrowly missed out on the Champions League group stages, losing in the play-offs to Dinamo Zagreb, while last year they enjoyed a famous 6-1 win over eventual Europa Conference League winners Roma.
Thomas Frank
It is a mere 70-mile journey from Brentford to Brighton, and given his current standing the Dane could well find himself making the short trip for an interview at least.
Brighton will not be alone in admiring Frank’s work at Brentford, but could seize the opportunity before vacancies pop up elsewhere.
That said, Frank may well be wedded to the Brentford project. He helped them defy expectations in finishing 13th last season, during their first Premier League campaign, and that momentum has continued into the new season with the Bees currently eighth.
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