Brighton CEO Paul Barber has claimed to the ‘What the Footie’ podcast that he wishes he had never answered Todd Boehly’s call about Graham Potter earlier this season.
The Chelsea owner established the Englishman as his number one target to replace Thomas Tuchel when the German was sacked early on in the campaign.
Despite a big summer transfer window, where they backed the Champions League winning manager big time, it took just seven games for the American to want a change at the helm.
It has certainly not been smooth sailing since Potter came in though. Until recently, they were on a run of two wins in 17 games.
Nevertheless, Barber has claimed he is disappointed that he lost his former manager to the Blues.
Barber wishes he didn’t answer Boehly’s call
He said: “When Todd Boehly calls you at 7:30 on a Tuesday morning it’s never gonna be to invite you to breakfast! It was a call I wish I hadn’t taken because Graham was doing a great job and we were enjoying working with him and again, when someone does well and their profile increases and they’re on other club’s radars, you know that calls going to come sooner rather than later.
“I was just a little bit sleepy that morning, didn’t realise what I was letting myself into when I answered it and then of course I realised I’d fallen into Todd’s trap. From that point of view, we’d been looking at Roberto [De Zerbi] for about two years.”
The Seagulls’ fortunes have maintained high since Potter left the club, with his replacement leading them to an FA Cup semi-final last weekend.
It is reported that Barber may be expecting more calls from Boehly this summer. The Blues have a reported interest in midfield duo Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister.
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