Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino and the managers who could replace Graham Potter at Chelsea

Following his sacking from Bayern Munich, Julian Nagelsmann is a top candidate to step in to take over at Stamford Bridge.

The German manager was replaced by Thomas Tuchel at Bayern - the coach Potter succeeded at Chelsea in September.

Nagelsmann, 35, is still regarded as one of the most promising coaches in world football, having been a success at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig before Bayern snapped him up in 2021.

Tottenham were recently linked with Nagelsmann after Antonio Conte's departure, but the Blues may attempt to beat their London rivals to him.

Inevitably among the first names linked with the job as soon as the pressure began to ramp up on Potter - just as was the case when Thomas Tuchel was sacked last year.

Pochettino has been out of work since his ill-fated spell at Paris Saint-Germain came to an end in the summer, and Chelsea would undoubtedly consider him for the job.

However, they will be wary of his underwhelming time in Paris and may well face stiff competition from his former club Tottenham now that they are hunting for Antonio Conte's replacement.

Zidane has been playing hard to get ever since his second stint in charge of Real Madrid came to an end in 2021.

PSG, France and the United States have all apparently courted the three-time Champions League-winning coach, but he remains a free agent for now.

Zidane has hardly anything in common with Potter, so his appointment would represent a dramatic shift in direction by the Chelsea ownership. However, it is hard to argue with the results that Zizou has achieved in his managerial career so far, and he is used to managing big egos - of which there are plenty at Stamford Bridge.

Having stepped down as Spain boss following their last-16 exit from the 2022 World Cup, it surely won't be long until Luis Enrique rebounds back into a top managerial job.

A committed footballing idealist, on paper he should be able to plot a path for Chelsea to follow over the next few years - though that's easier said than done due to the recent turnover of players.

The 52-year-old has not managed in the Premier League previously and has been out of the club game for some time now - two things that could go against him in any potential job interview.

Saying that, Boehly and Co. want entertaining football, which is something the Spaniard could provide.

It is hard to imagine a world without Simeone prowling the Atletico Madrid touchline. This season, though, El Cholo's future seems uncertain.

His contract expires in the summer and his relationship with those behind the scenes at the Wanda Metropolitano seems to have soured, while performances on the pitch have stagnated - Atleti are 17 points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Despite these recent struggles, Simeone's record in the Spanish capital is superb. Although he does not fit the 'plays good football' brief, Boehly could still turn to him to provide shorter-term success.

Spare a thought for Joao Felix if this happens before his loan deal expires. He's only just got away from his nemesis...

When Potter left Brighton for Stamford Bridge, many predicted doom and gloom for the south-coast club.

De Zerbi has made these doubters eat their words, however, taking the Seagulls to even greater heights since taking over in September.

The Italian has tweaked Brighton's style slightly, turning them into a fearsome pressing machine, and earning plenty of fans among neutrals this season.

Reports suggest his release clause is around £11.5 million. That is a lot of money - although that has not stopped Boehly doing anything before.

The 38-year-old has made quite the name for himself in recent years.

After one year in charge of Braga, Amorim made the move to Lisbon to join Sporting CP and has been a big success ever since.

The former Benfica midfielder won the Primeira Liga in 2021 as well as successive Tacas da Liga with Sporting. His team have fallen out of contention this season, however, as they sit 18 points behind leaders Benfica.

Amorim emerged as one of the candidates for the job when Tuchel was sacked and the Blues could go after him now that Potter has been dismissed.

The Northern Irish coach was let go by Leicester on Sunday amid their dismal season.

However, his pedigree as a coach has been established following his spells in charge of Swansea, Liverpool, Celtic and the Foxes.

He spent four years with Leicester and guided them to two top-five finishes in the Premier League and won the FA Cup with them.

However, his inability to keep them out of the relegation zone this time around may discourage Chelsea from entertaining the idea of hiring him.

He has already enjoyed two spells in charge of Chelsea and a third crack at the job is not unthinkable.

Mourinho has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain recently as the club are reported to be considering sacking Christophe Galtier.

Italian media claim that the Portuguese coach considered his own future in recent weeks and has decided he wants to stay at Roma for at least one more year.

However, with the hot seat at Chelsea available once again, the 60-year-old could be interested in returning to Stamford Bridge.

His excellent work at Eintracht Frankfurt has resulted in Austrian coach Glasner being linked to several top jobs.

The 48-year-old is reportedly among those under consideration at Tottenham, but Chelsea may consider hearing him out.

The former defender overcame a difficult start to life at Eintracht to guide them to Europa League glory in 2022, and Glasner's team have impressed in spells this season, though they have recently dropped to sixth after going five games without a win.