According to Phil Hay, the 49ers were very interested in attracting an English manager to Leeds United instead of Daniel Farke last summer, but were unable to persuade him to transfer to the Championship.
Leeds hired Farke last summer after being connected with a number of other candidates before selecting the German. Brendan Rodgers was one of them, with the Northern Irishman edging closer to another league triumph at Celtic.
Others included Scott Parker, Steven Gerrard, and Carlos Corberan, who were discussed prior to Farke’s announcement as an eventual long-term replacement for Jesse Marsch in Leeds.
According to Phil Hay, another manager on the shortlist was Graham Potter, who was fired by Chelsea in April 2023 and has been unemployed since then.
Hay told The Square Ball that the 49ers were very interested in getting the former Brighton manager to Elland Road, but he revealed why Potter’s move never happened:
Hay reports Leeds wanted to hire Graham Potter last summer.
Potter is still out of work despite being connected to a number of positions since his departure from Chelsea, including Manchester United and Nice.
Hay claims that Leeds were highly interested in enticing Potter to Elland Road after his sacking at Stamford Bridge a few months previously, but he was opposed because he had recently managed Chelsea in the Champions League.
“Remember last summer, the 49ers were very on Graham Potter. But they couldn’t get Potter to a point where he was willing to seriously consider the job with them. He had just stepped out of Chelsea.
“He had a difficult experience there but did exceptionally well in Brighton. He pictured himself as a Premier League coach. There’s no point arguing that we should have made an offer he couldn’t refuse; that’s not how things work.”
What Jesse Marsch said about Potter amid links to Leeds.
Ahead of a match between Leeds and The Seagulls, Marsch once described Potter as “wonderful” and commended his performance in the transfer window, which was rather sublime while serving as Brighton manager.
“We have great regard for Brighton. They clearly had a successful season, made some fantastic recruits, and have an excellent management. “They’ve had a good start to the season,” Marsch told Sussex Live.
However, Potter’s probable move to Leeds never materialised, and now, a year later, Farke has led The Whites into the play-offs after finishing third and narrowly missing out on a position in the top two.
