Who Will Be The Next Brighton Manager? A Look At The Contenders

After a successful spell with the Seagulls, Graham Potter has moved on to Chelsea, leaving a vacancy for a new manager but who will take the reins?

Graham Potter may not have won any silverware in his three years in Brighton, but he certainly earned a lot of praise for a team which played attacking football and could compete with anyone.

With Mr Potter moving on to pastures new, there is a big hole to fill and Brighton fans will be looking for a manager to continue the upward trajectory of the club over recent years.

Here is a look at some of the contenders for next Brighton manager.

Kjetil Knutsen

There may not be many English football fans who are familiar with this name or how to pronounce it, however the Norwegian manager is the favourite with some bookmakers for the job.

Manager of FK Bodo/Glimt in Norway, Knutsen has overseen huge success for a club that is starting to make a name for itself on a European stage.

Most notably in last season's EUFA Conference League where they beat Jose Mourinho's AS Roma 6-1 in a group stage game.

They then went on to knock out Scottish Champions Celtic eventually falling to AZ in the round of 16.

The 53-year-old's Scandinavian success may remind fans of a certain manager of Ostersunds in Sweden who went on to have success in the Premier League...

Steve Cooper

Could Cooper swap The City Ground for the AMEX?

Still one of the current favourites it would be a big move for the former Swansea manager to leave behind a much-changed project at Nottingham Forest which saw them sign over 19 players in the summer.

But the Welshman is very highly regarded having taken Forest from the relegation zone to the Premier League in one season in the Championship.

Praised for his development of young talent, Cooper was the man behind the England U17 World Cup Win in 2017, with a squad that included Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Morgan Gibbs-White.

Roberto De Zerbi

Another favourite for the job is former Shaktar Donetsk manager Roberto De Zerbi.

The Italian is currently without a club after leaving the Ukrainian club in July following the Russian Invasion.

He has had success previously in his home country with Sassuolo and Benevento and has been praised for an exciting brand of football.

Ange Postecoglou

Manager of Scottish Giants Celtic, the Australian has gained many admirers during his first 14 months at the club.

During his first year at the club he led Celtic to victory in the Scottish Premier League and they are now in the draw for the group stage of this season's Champions League.

Whilst it may seem unlikely for the 57-year-old to turn down a shot at European glory, there is some uncomfortable history for Celtic fans as Brendan Rodgers made the switch to Europe-less Leicester just three years ago.

The Others

Other names on the list of potential managers include Luton Town's Nathan Jones - formerly an interim manager of Brighton, as well as Swansea manager Russell Martin.

Notable outsiders include Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel who are both now without a club following recent dismissals.

It is unlikely that Brighton would have the necessary resources to bring such managers to Sussex however.

Brighton's next match will be away at Liverpool following the postponement of their game with Crystal Palace this weekend.

The Seagulls currently sit fourth in the Premier League Table.

Andrew Crofts is currently in interim charge and will be taking the team's training sessions until further notice.