Chelsea have three candidates in line for the sporting director's role - Reports

Chelsea have reportedly identified three candidates for the sporting director role at the club, with co-owner Todd Boehly interested in appointing someone before the upcoming winter transfer window.

Earlier this week, the Blues parted ways with Thomas Tuchel and lured Graham Potter away from Brighton & Hove Albion to appoint him as the new head coach. Potter, who was reportedly the top choice for the job, penned a five-year deal with the Stamford Bridge outfit.

In his column for Caught Offside, Romano provided insight into Chelsea's pursuit of a new sporting director, who is expected to work closely with Potter during the ongoing transition period. He wrote:

"All the names are still secret, there are three candidates in the list but Todd Boehly wants to decide before the January transfer window. I think Chelsea absolutely needs to appoint a director ready to work together with Graham Potter on every single point of the squad."

He added:

"Former Liverpool man Michael Edwards would be a great call but it's not easy to convince him. He was approached before but wants a break. Maxwell was another name on the club's list, but my understanding was that this was never advanced."

For the majority of the summer, Boehly acted as the interim sporting director for the west London outfit after Marina Granovskaia's exit.

The Blues made nine major additions to their squad during the summer transfer window. The club signed the likes of Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella for a combined sum of over £250 million.

Meanwhile, Chelsea permanently parted ways with the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Timo Werner, Marcos Alonso, Ross Barkley, Emerson Palmieri and Billy Gilmour this summer.

Romelu Lukaku, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Malang Sarr and Ethan Ampadu also secured loan deals away from the club.

The Blues are currently sixth in the Premier League standings with 10 points from six games with a negative goal difference. The club will next take on RB Salzburg at home in their second UEFA Champions League Group E fixture on Wednesday (September 14).

Dale Stephens heaps praise on new Chelsea boss Graham Potter

Speaking to Sussex Express, former Brighton midfielder Dale Stephens shared his thoughts about Graham Potter. He said:

"He is very much a modern manager. He has got his ways and his ways of playing. He is the right man for Chelsea and for the big jobs. He is authoritative but does it in a manner that suits him."

He added:

"He is level headed and calm, and good or bad news, he is honest. I think players appreciate that and I'm sure that is an aspect that is positive for him."