Arsenal have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of an England international, while Manchester United have just about “confirmed” their first signing of the summer.
Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku has been offered a staggering $AUD37 million salary while Cristian Volpato could find himself at a new club.
Catch up on all of the transfer whispers doing the rounds in the latest edition of the Rumour Mill!
One key player in the race for West Ham United captain Declan Rice has pulled out, leaving the door wide open for a Premier League heavyweight to have an uncontested run for the midfielder.
Sky Germany reports Bayern Munich, who held a big interest in the England international, have deemed the pursuit too expensive and will not lodge a bid for the midfielder.
Rice had held talks with Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel and was reportedly open to a switch to the German giants, but it’s now seemingly off the table.
It leaves Arsenal as the leading and basically only candidates gunning to sign Rice.
However, the Gunners will likely have to pay approximately $185 million (per The Guardian) bring Rice to the Emirates in what would be a massive statement of intent for their title aspirations next season.
Declan Rice looks destined to become an Arsenal player. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
MAGUIRE’S WORST FEARS REALISED AS RED DEVILS’ NEXT ARRIVAL ‘CONFIRMED’
Manchester United have wasted little time in their summer transfer business, with a Serie A winner set to bolster the Red Devils’ backline.
According to Il Mattino, a deal for Napoli defender Kim Min-Jae has been “confirmed” and the South Korean international will link up with the club on July 1.
The Napoli star will reportedly earn $16 million-per-year in a bumper contract upgrade.
Should the deal go through, it spells danger for Manchester United captain Harry Maguire’s future at the club as he is pushed even further down the pecking order.
The Red Devils skipper struggled for game time behind centre back pairing Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, so Kim’s arrival will likely decrease that even more.
Kim Min-Jae is set to join Manchester United on July 1. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)Source: AFP
$14M VOLPATO BID COULD FUEL THE FIGHT FOR INTERNATIONAL ALLEGIANCE
Cristian Volpato’s time at Italian heavyweights Roma could be over, with a fellow Serie A rival on the brink of snapping up the teenager.
Volpato, who grew up in Australia but has represented Italy at youth level, has been handed minutes off the bench under Roma boss Jose Mourinho.
However, the 19-year-old could see more regular appearances as Goal Italia reports Roma have agreed a $14 million fee with Sassuolo for Volpato.
Should the move go through and Volpato secure increased game time, it will certainly put Italy on red alert amid the international tug of war for his services with the Socceroos.
Cristian Volpato could be headed for the exit door at Roma. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP)Source: AFP
GOALSCORING MACHINE OFFERED EYE-WATERING $37M SAUDI DEAL
Could a Belgian goalscoring machine become the latest big name to move to Saudi Arabia?
According to The Guardian, Saudi club Al-Hilal has offered Romelu Lukaku a deal worth up to $37 million in an effort to tempt him to the Middle East.
The report claims Lukaku has met with officials from Al-Hilal in Paris after the Champions League final, although the striker is more keen to stay with Inter Milan.
Lukaku is, of course, contracted to Chelsea and was on loan with Inter.
The Italian outfit also has financial troubles which could make a permanent move for Lukaku a difficult deal.
Al-Hilal had previously set their sights on signing global superstar Lionel Messi and had even offered the Argentinian a mind-blowing salary of $796 million, but he has since turned it down and will join MLS outfit Inter Miami instead.
A-League teenage sensation Nestory Irankunda is reportedly on the verge of completing a shock move to German giants Bayern Munich.
A report from beIN Sports claims terms are “close to being finalised” between Adelaide United and the European heavyweights for the 17-year-old’s services.
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Should the deal go ahead, Irankunda would be loaned back to Adelaide United for the 2023/24 A-League season before linking up with Bayern Munich full-time.
However, Reds boss Carl Veart stated “no deal has been done” just yet in the wake of his side’s 2-0 elimination final win over the Wellington Phoenix on Friday night.
“The last conversation I had is there’s still quite a few clubs throwing their hat into the ring,” Veart said.
“So I don’t think it’s going to be a straightforward decision.”
Completing a move to a European giant would continue the teenager’s remarkable trajectory that’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Irankunda could be backflipping in Germany soon. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Irankunda burst onto the scene in the A-League as a 15-year-old and scored a stunning free-kick against the Newcastle Jets in what was just his third appearance off the bench.
Although he is yet to start a game for Adelaide, his explosive injections off the bench have proved pivotal for the Reds.
Irankunda also has a thunderous right foot and a remarkable ability to find the top corner from the tightest of angles, with a cheeky backflip or three thrown in for good measure when celebrating his goals.
The 17-year-old was even brought into the Socceroos fold as a train-on player for the recent friendlies against Ecuador as Graham Arnold got a close eye on what the talented teenager could do.
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola insisted Tuesday that opponents Baygoing tern Munich believe they can pull off a miracle and overturn a three-goal deficit against his side to reach the Champions League semi-finals on Thursday (6am AEST).
“I worked here at Bayern and I know the mentality of this club. It’s everywhere, it’s in the skin of the club. They believe they can do it,” said Guardiola, who was head coach at Bayern from 2013 to 2016 before joining City.
The German giants were thrashed 3-0 by City in the first leg of their quarter-final tie in Manchester last week, and are now facing what seems to be mission impossible ahead of the return fixture in Munich.
“It will be a miracle if we pull it off, but we can’t just talk a miracle into existence,” admitted Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel on Tuesday.
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“Our first priority is to win the first half. If we can win both halves and we get the luck which we didn’t get in the first leg, then everything is possible,” said Tuchel.
“It’s a difficult task and we shouldn’t make it more difficult by looking only at the top of the mountain,” he added, and encouraged his players to get the fans onside.
“We need to bring the crowd with us so they can create the kind of energy which you get in games where special things happen,” he said.
The Bayern boss, whose side also slumped to a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to relegation candidates Hoffenheim on Saturday, admitted his players were not in their best form.
“We’ve looked a bit cramped and lacking confidence recently, but in football things can change very quickly,” he said.
Bayern can count on the return of striker Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, who missed Bayern’s last three games with a knee injury but took part in training on Tuesday.
“We’ll have to see how his knee reacts to our final session, but if we get the green light he is definitely an option,” said the Bayern coach.
Senegal international Sadio Mane will also return to the squad after he was suspended for a dressing room altercation with teammate Leroy Sane in Manchester last week.
Tuchel insisted that Bayern had put the episode behind them, while City midfielder Gundogan warned that it could even help the German side.
“Sometimes an episode like that can have a positive effect. That’s what Bayern will be hoping for,” said Gundogan.
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The German international also insisted that a Bayern comeback was not off the cards on Wednesday.
“We know from our experience in the past that everything is still possible. This competition is something special, you can get incredible results. We are taking it seriously because we are playing against one of the best teams in Europe,” he said.
As Chelsea prepared to take on Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in the first game of the Premier League season, fans would have taken note of what owner Todd Boehly had to say in the matchday programme.
“There is a simple mantra that guides us every day: we want to win together, and make you proud,” Boehly wrote.
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“As one of the world’s elite football clubs, Chelsea sits at the pinnacle of the game.”
Fast forward to now and it’s hard to agree with what the American had to say before the season.
Thomas Tuchel lasted just one month into the season before he was ruthlessly axed as Chelsea trigged Graham Potter’s $AUD27.9m release clause to snatch him from Brighton.
But the Birmingham native’s time in the Stamford Bridge dugout crashed and burned as he was sacked after almost seven months in the role.
Club legend Frank Lampard has since been brought in as interim manager to steer the ship until the end of the season.
It’s been a colossal disaster of a campaign for Chelsea who now sit on the brink of a Champions League exit and the very real prospect of no European football next season given their mid-table position.
Add in departures from the English domestic cup competitions at the first hurdle and it makes for grim reading.
What makes Chelsea’s fall from grace this season is the staggering expenditure on display this season.
Across the summer and winter windows, Chelsea have spent an estimated $1b, with $540m accounting for the eight players who joined in January.
However, such extravagant spending coupled with Chelsea’s troubling league position could mean the Blues must brace for a fire sale in the summer.
With a significant lack of prize money headed their way at the conclusion of the campaign, it means Chelsea will be in a precarious spot when it comes to Financial Fair Play (FFP).
Per FFP rules, clubs are permitted maximum losses of $196 million over a rolling three-year period.
Over the past four seasons, Chelsea recorded a staggering $636m in losses, but the reason they don’t fall foul on FFP guidelines is the fact they recorded a $67m profit during the Covid-interrupted 2019/20 season.
The significant losses led to UEFA placing the club on a watchlist last September for teams that will be “monitored closely in the upcoming period.”
For those who come through Chelsea’s academy, they earn homegrown status which means the club can immediately record the transfer fee into the books as a profit.
N’Golo Kante is the main senior player coming off contract at the end of the season, while seven players will be free agents as of July 1 2024.
Two players who will shortly have one year left on their deal are Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who both came through the academy at Cobham.
Loftus-Cheek hasn’t quite nailed down a spot in Chelsea’s first team, often playing a bit-part role when required.
However, Mount has become an integral member of the Blues since bursting onto the scene in the 2019/20 season after a successful loan at Derby County.
Premier League heavyweights Liverpool have been linked with a move for Mount, who is valued by Chelsea at $130m, per The Athletic.
Selling Mount would provide a significant boost in Chelsea’s efforts to stay within the FFP rules.
Chelsea may also part with some of Mount’s fellow academy graduates and English internationals like Callum Hudson-Odoi or Conor Gallagher.
Aside from academy graduates, there’s also a handful of players coming off contract in 2024.
Christian Pulisic and Mateo Kovacic are in that group, and at 24 and 28 years of age respectively, could net the Blues a tidy transfer fee.
Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Thiago Silva are also off contract in July 2024, so Chelsea could look to cash in on them in the summer.
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With such a bloated squad, there’s also several fringe players who could net the Blues some needed coin.
One such name is Hakim Ziyech, who has never quite found his feet since arriving from Ajax.
The Moroccan winger came extremely close to a move to Paris Saint-German in the January window, but the deal collapsed at the last minute and has been forced to sit on the sidelines since.
Of course, all of this will hinge on what Chelsea’s new manager will want to do.
Lampard’s deal is only until the end of the season and won’t be given the gig for a second time.
Former Barcelona and Spain boss Luis Enrique is a strong contender for the role, as is Julian Nagelsmann who was recently sacked by German giants Bayern Munich.
They’ll no doubt want to see what the entire squad can do before giving the green light on who will go and who might stay.
But, given Chelsea’s worrying financial position, the new man in the Stamford Bridge dugout might not even get a say as they look to balance the books.
Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio struck for Real Madrid as they dominated 10-man Chelsea and opened up a 2-0 Champions League quarter-final first leg lead on Wednesday.
The record 14-time winners and reigning champions eased to a comfortable win against Frank Lampard’s side, who had Ben Chilwell sent off in the second half for pulling down Rodrygo Goes as he ran through on goal.
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Benzema netted from close range after 21 minutes after Kepa Arrizabalaga tipped a Vinicius Junior effort into his path.
Despite controlling the game, Madrid had to wait until the 74th minute for their second, with Asensio drilling home from the edge of the box after a short corner routine.
In a battle between the last two Champions League winners, Madrid demonstrated their strength with an impressive display, while Chelsea showed why they are struggling in 11th in the Premier League.
Carlo Ancelotti, who coached Lampard at Chelsea between 2009-2011, relied on veteran midfielders Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to pull the strings.
Lampard, in his second game at the helm since replacing Graham Potter last week, threw Thiago Silva and N’Golo Kante straight into the starting line-up after injury worries.
Kante shone against Madrid in the 2021 semis as Chelsea beat them en route to winning the trophy for the second time, and he was one positive for Lampard, slipping Joao Felix through on goal at the start.
The Portuguese forward, on loan from Los Blancos’ rivals Atletico Madrid, drilled a low effort at Thibaut Courtois.
Benzema, who netted a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge last season and scored the goal which sent Madrid through against the Blues in the second leg, forced Kepa into a smart save at his near post.
Madrid fans had shown their support for Fede Valverde before the game, after he allegedly punched Villarreal’s Alex Baena on Saturday, and he nearly rewarded them with a piledriver which flew narrowly off-target.
The hosts soon found the opener, with Benzema netting his sixth goal against Chelsea and certainly his easiest.
Dani Carvajal lofted a tempting ball over the top and although Kepa got his fingertips to Vinicius’s effort, Benzema was left with a simple tap-in.
Milan edge Napoli in fiery first leg | 00:58
Chelsea almost produced an instant equaliser but Courtois made a stunning save to deny Raheem Sterling from close range.
At the other end Vinicius came close to netting a second after breezing past Wesley Fofana, but Silva stayed alert to hack his dinked effort away from danger.
Kepa denied Rodrygo and David Alaba as Madrid toyed with their opponents, penning them back in their box for large stretches.
Chelsea have struggled badly for goals this season and after their early chances, found it difficult to build in attack.
Modric curled a fine effort on to the roof of the net early in the second half, as Ancelotti’s side looked to put the tie out of reach.
Chelsea’s uphill struggle was made harder before the hour mark when Chilwell tugged back Rodrygo as he ran through on goal and was shown a straight red card.
A difficult evening for the Londoners was compounded when Asensio squeezed an effort through Fofana’s legs and into the bottom corner to double the hosts’ advantage.
Benzema might have netted another in stoppage time but headed off target after Kepa pushed a cross into his path.
Antonio Rudiger made a good block to thwart Mason Mount late on to ensure his former side could not take anything positive into the second leg.
Chelsea host Madrid next Tuesday, with the winners facing Manchester City or Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.
Liverpool has pulled a massive shock in one of football’s highest-profile transfer sagas, reportedly withdrawing their interest in England’s $250m teen sensation Jude Bellingham.
19-year-old Bellingham, currently at Borussia Dortmund, is rated as one of the finest youngsters in world football and has already established himself as a valuable member of England’s midfield.
But after years of chasing his signature – and crucially, not spending the money on other midfield options – the Reds have finally given up the pursuit.
The decision has caused outrage among Liverpool fans, especially since the club’s failure to reinforce the midfield in the off-season predictably led to a dismal campaign.
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After an incredibly gruelling 63-game season last year, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds were in dire need of reinforcements.
But Liverpool largely failed to reinforce their midfield after failing to sign their top target in Bellingham, also missing out on Aurelien Tchouameni to Real Madrid. Their only arrival was a desperate last-gasp move for Brazilian Arthur from Juventus – and that was on loan, a sign he was never more than a stopgap in Liverpool’s long-term rebuild of their engine room.
Instead, the Reds added firepower up front in the form of a £64 million bid (plus add-ons) for Darwin Nunez, while making clear that they were prepared to wait 12 months for Dortmund to be willing to part with Bellingham.
It was obvious then that a bidding war for the teen’s services would reignite at the end of this season, given Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint‑Germain and Chelsea were all also strongly chasing Bellingham.
Bellingham has put together an outstanding body of work again this season, with 10 goals and five assists in 37 appearances for the German club. His standout performances for the Three Lions at the World Cup in Qatar, where he notched a goal and an assist and generally impressed, meant his price tag rocketed further.
After Chelsea splashed a British record £106m ($A198m) for Enzo Fernandez in January, Dortmund understandably expected a transfer fee that would comfortably surpass that figure.
The Guardian reports Dortmund are chasing a fee of £135m ($A252m) plus add-ons, while transfer guru Fabrizio Romano labelled the likely outlay a “package worth more than £130m” ($A243m).
Liverpool always appeared to lead Real Madrid as the favourites for the youngster’s signature, having followed him since he was a member of Birmingham City’s academy.
But according to many reports, the club hierarchy decided to walk away from the bidding war and will instead undertake a more widespread overhaul of the playing group.
The need for a radical reshaping of the squad has become painfully clear this season as the Reds tumbled to lows never before experienced in Klopp’s seven-year reign at the club – the longest tenure of any current Premier League manager.
The midfield, as it was last year, is the biggest problem. Age, form, and injuries have all conspired to produce a genuine crisis.
Captain Jordan Henderson is 32 years old, as is Thiago, with the reliable James Milner 37.
Where the Reds needed fresh legs and energy in the engine room, they instead had to rely on the veteran legs of Milner and co far more than Klopp would have like.
The outcome was predictable – Liverpool’s extremely high-intensity style of play has become tired, belaboured.
There are problems elsewhere, of course – too many problems to count.
Virgil van Dijk has been a shadow of his usual world-beating self in defence, while the defensive frailties of star right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold have been exposed with regularity.
The Reds are languishing in eighth in the Premier League and at risk of missing out on the top four and Champions League qualification for the first time since Klopp’s maiden season at Anfield. Liverpool are also out of both domestic cups and the Champions League.
In essence, the season has been disastrous by their standards – but it is the midfield that has been most sorely exposed.
Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp has faced a series of frustrations this year.Source: AFP
WHY THE MIDFIELD NEEDS A COMPLETE REBUILD 32-year-old Henderson is one of many whose form has dipped. Defensive midfielder Fabinho has never played so poorly since his arrival in 2018, while Naby Keita has been limited to just eight league appearances after battling injuries and falling out of favour.
Thiago and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have suffered long-term injuries while Arthur has hardly played a minute.
The best run of form by any Liverpool midfielder came from an unlikely source – 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic, who starred after bursting into the starting line-up in late January. He was a standout as he featured in eight consecutive league games, only to suffer an abductor tear three weeks ago that will end his season. The brightest light from Liverpool’s midfield this season was snuffed out.
When it comes to the future of the Liverpool midfield, Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Milner are all out of contract.
Bajcetic, 20-year-old Harvey Elliot and perhaps 22-year-old Curtis Jones appear long-term options, while Thiago is still world class – when he’s fit.
Besides that, the group seemingly needs a complete overhaul. Instead of the one midfield signing they desperately needed last season, the Reds now clearly need at least two signings in that area (now their reported aim) – without even mentioning the need to reinforce elsewhere on the pitch.
Virgil van Dijk has endured a difficult campaign.Source: Getty Images
Which is exactly why they have turned away from Bellingham. His price tag reduces their capacity to spend elsewhere, while the likelihood of a drawn-out transfer war for his services means other targets could foreseeable be sold to rivals by the time a Bellingham deal is eventually done – if indeed he chose Liverpool after all.
Asked last week about the need for transfer activity at the end of the season, Klopp may have hinted at a decision to walk away from Bellingham.
“Whatever we do next year will never be enough from people’s point of view and your [the media’s] point of view,” he said.
“But yes, with smart recruitment we will improve – definitely. That is the plan.
“We cannot make 24 changes and say, ‘here we go’ – not even 10 – but it is just that we have to make changes, smart changes, and then we go again.”
But Liverpool fans have long pinned their hopes on signing Bellingham – or at the very least, going all out to fight Real Madrid and co for his signature. In many ways, it was the light at the end of the tunnel that is a disastrous season.
That hope has been ripped away – and the reaction to Liverpool’s decision has been swift and damning.
The Times’ Tom Roddy told Sky Sports News: “It is a massive blow for Liverpool. It just shows the direction that both club and player are likely to go this summer. It underlines just how expensive Liverpool expect Bellingham to be. “He is going to be a record-breaking signing for British football as a midfielder, likely to usurp the £106m that Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez in January.
“The assumption will be that it’s Real Madrid, because they were the two leading clubs. I do think there’s a possibility that he stays at Borussia Dortmund because I don’t think he wants to rush into anything at all … [but] The assumption will be that he leaves this summer.”
As Football Insider reporter David Lynch wrote on social media: “The failure to sign a midfielder last summer was characterised as a refusal to compromise on targets.
“Yet Liverpool’s first choice in that position, a player pursued over several years, has now been deemed out of reach for reasons they could have easily predicted 12 months ago.
“Consequently, they will now chase alternatives, some of whom could have been secured the year prior and without the need to write off an entire season.”
This season could get even worse if they miss out on Champions League qualification. Not only does the top continental competition provide a key lure for transfer targets, the millions of dollars in missed participation money could force the club’s American owners to dig deeper into their pockets to fund the much-needed squad overhaul.
This season could get even worse if they miss out on Champions League qualification. Not only does the top continental competition provide a key lure for transfer targets, the millions of dollars in missed participation money could force the club’s American owners to dig deeper into their pockets to fund the much-needed squad overhaul.
As the Bellingham saga shows, their willingness to splash the cash when needed is under question, as is the club hierarchy’s long-term planning and transfer approach in general.
After wasting a season, the transfer window will go a long way to answering those questions – for better or worse.
Socceroos star and recent Colorado Rapids signing Alex Gersbach has called for the A-League to start taking more inspiration from the MLS rather than continue trying to “copy the European structure.”
Gersbach has the fortunate position of being the only Australian to play in both the A-League and MLS having begun his career with Sydney FC and moving to the Rapids in the January transfer window.
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The 25-year-old has also spent the majority of his playing career in Europe, bouncing from Rosenborg in Norway to Lens and Grenoble in France as well as stints in Denmark and Holland.
Although Gersbach’s time in the States remains in its infancy, he has already taken stock to realise there’s more similarities between the two leagues than some might like to admit.
“I think it’s time that the A-League started noticing [the MLS] as well,” Gersbach told the Fox Football Podcast.
“Instead of trying to copy the European structure, we all talk about this promotion and relegation thing, which I think is a good idea in Australia as well, but there needs to be some serious research done in terms of that and which model to follow.
“The A-League has similarities with the MLS, and for some reason I feel like no-one pays attention to the MLS in Australia in terms of replicating things that they do here.
“We always look to European leagues and think how can we compete with that, how can be come that.
“But to be honest, I’m not sure Australia ever will be able to compete with European leagues and that’s purely just the geographical sort of thing, in terms of enticing players to come and play in Australia.”
There is no simple answer as to how one gets the Australian football community to start looking at the MLS with an envious glance.
After all, Aussie football has plenty to sort out in its own backyard before casting its eyes elsewhere.
However, Gersbach believes there is a simple starting point to shift the mentality.
“It’s got to come from our own young Australian players,” Gersbach said.
“I’ve seen here the academies here in the MLS seem to be really, really good. We’ve got a number of boys in the first team at Colorado who have come through the academy and are doing really well.
“You see that in Australia at the moment with Sydney FC for example.
“Maybe the A-League needs to take a bit of the best of both worlds: European football structure and then learning things from the MLS. Maybe that’s a good little combination.”
As Kai Havertz stepped back for his second penalty attempt, Chelsea boss Graham Potter stared at his feet, too afraid to watch the action in real time.
It was the roar of a packed house at Stamford Bridge and a bear-hug from assistant coach Bjorn Hamberg that informed Potter his side had jagged a two-goal lead over Borussia Dortmund.
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Despite a late barrage of attacks from the German giants, Chelsea held on for a 2-1 aggregate victory to book a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals.
But more importantly, it ensured Potter would live to fight another day in the Chelsea dugout.
It was no secret the former Brighton boss was under immense pressure going into the clash.
Prior to last weekend’s Premier League fixture against Leeds, Potter’s side were winless in their last six.
Stretching back even further, Chelsea had won just three games from its last 17 in all competitions.
Results wise, it was an unmitigated disaster considering Potter oversaw a staggering estimated $AUD579 million spending spree in the January transfer window.
And with every two or three points dropped, the boo boys at Chelsea got louder, even if the message from Blues owner Todd Boehly was that Potter would be going nowhere anytime soon.
A 1-0 win over Leeds last weekend wasn’t pretty, but it stopped the rot and kept Chelsea within touching distance of European football, even if it would not be for the bright lights of the Champions League next season.
But the victory over Dortmund has brightened the mood, if only a little, as Potter survived what The Telegraphs’ Sam Dean described his “most exacting four days” in the job.
“It remains a fragile enterprise and Potter has only taken baby steps back from the brink,” Dean wrote.
“Albeit now Chelsea may go to Leicester City on Saturday feeling rather more like the Premier League big dogs they are supposed to be.”
Thankfully, Potter will never have to stress about what could have been if Havertz missed the retake.
The aggregate score would have remained at 1-1 and although Chelsea had the ascendancy for the majority of the game, Dortmund are equal-top of the Bundesliga for a reason and would attack in waves of yellow.
Yet, as The Times’ Henry Winter wrote, Potter finally had a bit of luck fall his way and bought himself the most valuable commodity in modern football: time.
Graham Potter celebrates with January signing Enzo Fernandez. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“He needed to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals in this otherwise disappointing season,” Winter wrote.
“He needed to conjure a strong, winning performance from his expensively assembled team. He needed to get his line-up and tactics right.
“Potter succeeded on all counts to deserve his second chance.”
With the win, Potter became Chelsea’s first English manager to win a Champions League knockout game.
He also ended the Blues’ agonising wait for more than two goals in one game, a run stretching back to December 28.
Although jubilant Chelsea fans spilt out into the streets of West London and into pubs to celebrate yet another stunning night of European football in the club’s history, CBS Sports pundit Jamie Carragher knows Potter hasn’t got all of them onside.
However, the result gives the boss more time to swing them over, even if the Liverpool legend remains unconvinced Potter will still be in the role come next season.
Two wins in four days might have saved Potter’s job. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)Source: AFP
“The fans aren’t going to change with one game, but I think this gives him time to get them on board,” Carragher said.
“He’s going to be there until the end of the season. There was a question probably four or five days ago where journalists were getting fed from the club that he could be on a knife’s edge in terms of his job.
“He’s won both games and that’ll be massive for him as a manager. I think that buys him time until the next draw, the quarterfinals of the Champions league.
“Once you’re getting to that stage, you’re almost at the end of the season. It would be ridiculous to change it.
“That cements him until the end of the season. Whether he’s there at the start of next season or not, I don’t think he will be.”
Whether Carragher’s prediction rings true remains to be seen, but most importantly for Potter, he has a chance from now until the end of the season to prove the Liverpool great wrong.
And if he pulls off the feat his predecessor Thomas Tuchel achieved in 2021 to bring Champions League football back to the Bridge next season, there would be no more doubting Potter’s credentials.
