Chelsea are set to hold talks with Brighton boss Graham Potter about replacing the sacked Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel, who won three trophies in 20 months at Stamford Bridge, was sacked by the Blues on Wednesday.
Ex-Swansea and Ostersunds FK coach Potter, 47, has been given permission by the Seagulls to talk with Chelsea.
Tuchel was dismissed after losing the confidence of Chelsea’s players and the new ownership, who took over at the club in May.
Potter, who has been tipped as a future England boss, has led Brighton to fourth in the table this season after winning four and drawing one of their six Premier League games.
He was appointed in May 2019 and has led the club to 15th, 16th and ninth-place finishes in his three seasons in charge.
But his brand of attacking and tactically flexible football has brought him many admirers in the game.
Chelsea’s new ownership oversaw a £255.3m spending spree in the summer window, bringing in eight new players.
They were sixth in the Premier League after three wins, one draw and two defeats when they parted company with Tuchel.
The decision to sack the German would have been taken regardless of their 1-0 defeat in their opening Champions League game at Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday, BBC Sport understands.
Chelsea plan to make a swift appointment and Potter was among the bookmakers’ favourites to take over, along with former Spurs and Paris St-Germain boss, Mauricio Pochettino, former Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane and current Leicester manager, Brendan Rodgers.