The simple answer to that question is no. Potter’s future will not be determined by the team’s performance in the Champions League this season or by the team’s ability to qualify for the competition again, either by winning it or by finishing in the top four in the league. 

It has been apparent that the long-term vision of those in charge of the club is aligned with the manager, even though Chelsea spent a combined total of £583 million during the two most recent transfer windows.

Despite only having played 16 games, Potter has a win percentage of 31.2% in the league, which is the third-worst record for the club in the history of the Premier League. At the moment, Chelsea is in tenth place, which is farther behind his former team Brighton, who are in the top half of the table. Thomas Tuchel, who held the position before him at Chelsea, was victorious in the Champions League in 2021.

Chris Sutton, a former striker for the Blues, has stated that the position is “too large” for Potter, while Potter himself has stated that the results “had not been good enough.” Nonetheless, the consensus within the club is that Potter has been forced to deal with some very unusual challenges during his tenure as manager.

Potter referred to the recruitment of eight new players in January as the “regeneration of the team that needed to happen.” The acquisition of Enzo Fernandez for £107 million broke the record for the most money ever paid in the British transfer market.

Several key players for Chelsea, including Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic, Wesley Fofana, Edouard Mendy, Denis Zakaria, and Armando Broja, are currently out with injuries. Chelsea’s injury list is a significant handicap.

Graham Potter denies lacking passion

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand claimed that Potter should model his managerial style after that of Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, or Jose Mourinho. The criticism came after the match between Chelsea and West Ham ended in a 1-1 tie after the Blues were not awarded a penalty for a handball committed by Tomas Soucek, a midfielder for the Hammers.

Potter responded to the criticism by saying, “Of course I get upset, I’m a human being.” The Englishman made these remarks saying that It’s simply that he makes a conscious effort to conduct himself in the manner that he considers to be appropriate for him. The same media outlets are talking about him showing more anger while also publishing articles about referees who work at lower levels of the sport.

In England, more than 900 referees answered a poll from Radio 5 Live, and of those, 293 said they had experienced some form of physical abuse at the hands of spectators, players, coaches, or management.

Potter continued by saying, that it is an emotional issue, but he has a duty to Chelsea, the game, and himself to act in a specific manner.

On the other hand, Potter has attempted to downplay the possibility of a rift between Mykhailo Mudryk and Marc Cucurella. After showing irritation with his teammate Cucurella during Saturday’s draw against West Ham, Mudryk, who signed with the club in January, seemed to like a post on Instagram that criticized Cucurella. Potter asserted that there was not even the slightest possibility of anything nefarious going on. “If there’s anything, it’s just members of the squad understanding one another,” said the coach. 

At £88.3 million, Atletico Madrid may let Felix leave

The 23-year-old forward for Portugal, Joao Felix, may be available to Chelsea in the summer for a fee of 100 million euros (approximately £88.3 million). It is still early days for Felix at Chelsea. He made an impression on his debut against Fulham but was sent off. His comeback has begun nicely, with a goal against West Ham.

Graham Potter’s team is suffering in the league this season, sitting in 10th place and in risk of losing out on European action next season. They have spent a lot of money, and with additions like Enzo Fernandez, they are concentrating on long-term deals. If Felix continues to perform, he would be an excellent addition to their squad on a permanent basis.

Atletico Madrid is contemplating making a low-ball bid for Christian Pulisic, an American international midfielder who now plays for Chelsea and was bought by the Blues for £57.6 million in 2019. It would result in Pulisic heading in the opposite direction as Felix.

The Blues’ attempts to extend Mason Mount’s contract have also stalled. The present contract of the 24-year-old England midfielder has fewer than 18 months left.  Graham Potter wants the midfielder’s contract extension  resolved as soon as possible.

Chelsea’s transfer strategy is “long term”

Paul Winstanley, who has been with Chelsea since November in the role of co-sporting director, has been in charge of the club’s recruitment efforts since then.

The choice of the club to grant such long-term terms to their new players has garnered a great deal of attention. Mykhailo Mudryk, age 22, Noni Madueke, age 20, Enzo Fernandez, age 22, and Benoit Badiashile, age 21, have all signed contracts that have a duration of more than seven years.

This is a model that is popular in the United States, and the club thinks it is a good investment that will secure their assets while also protecting the player. A conscious attempt to move away from what they think of as “Chelsea pay” at a value that is 40% more than the market value resulted in the average age of their 17 acquisitions being approximately 20 years old and their average income being 70,000 pounds.

Most pundits have noted that the current Chelsea roster is missing a goal-scorer, and the club has stated that it is still interested in signing the greatest players in the world, although the board will continue to hunt for up-and-coming young talent.

The club was also devastated when experienced defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left on free transfers in the summer, and one of the club’s remedies to that circumstance is to secure fresh recruits to extended agreements.

The Chelsea hierarchy has looked at the time the Arsenal board gave to their manager Mikel Arteta after he had a difficult start, and they admire the way his young team is now performing at the top of the Premier League. Integrating eight players into a new system, new club, and new country would be challenging for any coach.

Can Chelsea keep on spending?

The new owners continue to be pleased with their investment and believe that it holds up favorably when compared to the figures that are being discussed concerning the worth of Manchester United (£5-£6 billion).

Yet, it is quite unlikely that the amount of money that was spent over the previous two transfer windows would be repeated. The new owners thought that the roster needed to be refreshed, so the focus has been on buying young, top players who have a strong mentality. These players need to be able to compete right away, but they also need to be able to develop with the club over the coming years. Seatsnet has Chelsea tickets you need to visit the Stanford Bridge and see these young, rising talents in action. 

Chelsea suggests that the signing of Fernandez for a British record fee of £107 million was a strategic move, with Mateo Kovacic being the last central midfielder signed in July 2019 for a fee of £40 million from Real Madrid. The fee for Fernandez’s signing was called into question because he didn’t have much Premier League experience and the fee was so high.

The club’s goal is to prevent the departure of players who leave on free transfers wherever possible. They will make every effort to avoid situations similar to the one that occurred with academy graduate and England international Mason Mount, who still has 18 months left on his current deal.

 The Chelsea board of directors is content with the present transition period and is evaluating the club’s performance in terms of decades. And although Potter is aware of this fact, he should also be conscious that managing Chelsea is a high-stakes game with significant tests coming thick and fast.