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Former Manchester United defender Paul McGrath believes Chelsea's decision to spend £22 million on Graham Potter when Zinedine Zidane and Mauricio Pochettino were available for free is a head-scratcher.
Chelsea dropped a bombshell last week by announcing that they have parted ways with Thomas Tuchel. The German, who led the club to UEFA Champions League glory last year, had a contract until 2024, but was surprisingly relieved of his duties.
While the world was still in shock, the Blues quickly turned their attention toward naming a replacement for Tuchel. Zidane and Pochettino, who are both currently without a club, were mooted as potential options.
However, Potter emerged as the Stamford Bridge outfit's preferred option to take charge as their new manager. They then paid around £22 million to acquire the services of the Englishman and his backroom staff from Brighton & Hove Albion.
McGrath has now slammed the Blues for splurging a significant amount of money on Potter when Zidane and Pochettino were available. The Irishman thinks they are two of the best managers around and feels the Blues' decision to sign the Englishman instead does not make sense. He wrote in his Sunday World column:
"When you are Chelsea and you need a manager, it behoves a club that were European Champions last year and are World Club Champions to get nothing but the best."
"And right now ‘nothing but the best,’ in terms of available managers, meant either Zinedine Zidane or Mauricio Pochettino."
"Instead of going for either man who are free agents, Chelsea paid, it is believed, a total of £22 million to loosen Potter and his coaches from their Brighton contracts. It makes no sense to me."
Potter has put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the London giants. He has also taken a host of his backroom staff, including Billy Reid, Bruno and Kyle Macaulay, from Brighton to Stamford Bridge.
McGrath feels Chelsea could have turned Zidane's head
Zidane has been without a club since leaving his role as Real Madrid manager in 2021. He is widely tipped to replace Didier Deschamps as France's coach after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
McGrath, however, is of the view that the Blues could have turned the Frenchman's head. He is also baffled that former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Pochettino has not been roped in by a top Premier League club. He wrote:
"I know Zidane seems to want to wait for the French national team job after the World Cup Finals, but Chelsea are not short of the money that would have turned his head."
"While Pochettino must be wondering what is on earth going on. Both Manchester United and Chelsea have now passed over a manager good enough to get Spurs to a Champions League final. That makes no sense to me either."
While Zidane is expected to take charge of France soon, it remains to be seen where the future lies for Pochettino.
