Graham Potter: Swansea City fighting to keep manager
- Published
Graham Potter spent the majority of his playing career as a full-back, including in the Premier League
Swansea City are fighting to keep manager Graham Potter amid interest from Premier League club Brighton.
Swansea are in talks with the 43-year old in a bid to persuade him to stay at the Liberty Stadium.
Brighton want Potter to replace Chris Hughton at the Amex Stadium and have seen an initial approach to speak to him rebuffed by the Welsh club.
Swansea accept their boss is bound to be tempted by a Premier League offer, but believe he may choose to stay on.
The Swans, who finished tenth in the Championship are desperate to retain the services of a manager who has impressed since arriving from Swedish club Ostersunds FK 11 months ago.
Swansea have refused Brighton permission to talk to their manager but know they are likely to be powerless if Potter, whose contract runs until 2021, decides he wants to join the Seagulls.
Brighton are also likely to want to appoint members of Potter's backroom team if he opts to move.
Assistant manager Billy Reid, coach Bjorn Hamberg and head of recruitment Kyle MacAulay all followed Potter to Swansea from Sweden.
Brighton parted company with Hughton on Monday having finished 17th in the Premier League and Potter has remained an odds-on favourite to succeed him since then.
Danny Gabbidon says it would be a 'disaster' if Graham Potter left Swansea City
Brighton are declining to comment on the search for Hughton's successor.
Potter, who spent seven years as manager of Swedish club Ostersund before moving to Wales, impressed during his first season at Swansea, helping the club rebuild following relegation from the Premier League.
Following the departure of several senior players, he handed first-team chances to a number of youngsters and his new-look team improved as 2018-19 progressed.
The Swans were in the hunt for a play-off place until the final week of the campaign, with Potter re-establishing the possession game which had been Swansea's trademark until the latter stages of their spell in the Premier League.
Potter said he was focused on progressing at Swansea after being linked with Celtic in April.