Brighton and Hove Albion manager Graham Potter has labelled speculation linking him with a move to Premier League rivals Newcastle United ‘false’, in quotes reported by the Argus.
If the newly-moneyed Magpies want a coach with a proven track record in England’s top flight, with a reputation for improving young players, instilling an attractive style of football and building a squad greater than the sum of its parts, look no further.
Despite drawing their last two games – against Crystal Palace and Arsenal – Potter’s Brighton are sixth in the Premier League table after seven matches, 13 places and 11 points better off than the ‘richest club in world football’.
The Sun reported earlier this week that the former Swansea City and Ostersunds coach was one of the leading candidates to succeed Steve Bruce at St James’ Park, but Potter has wasted little time in distancing himself from this latest bout of speculation.
Is Graham Potter staying at Brighton?
“All of it is opinion. We live in a 24-hour news world. They have to fill it with something. A lot of it is not true,” explained Potter.
“I feel a little bit for the supporters because they have to read speculation or they have to read false headlines that aren’t correct. But I think most people understand that’s just the world we’re in.
“It was probably less than a year ago that there was a lot of the opposite noise around whether you’re doing a good job, or whether it’s time to move on for me, that type of stuff.
“With football, it can change quickly and I don’t pay too much attention to the noise from the outside. I don’t trust the positive noise that much and I don’t get too carried away if it’s negative.”
Potter is no stranger to gossip, having been linked with the manager’s job at Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Arsenal in recent months.
Frank Lampard has also been mentioned as a potential successor for Bruce at Newcastle, alongside Paulo Fonseca, Steven Gerrard and Andre Villas-Boas.
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