have identified Fulham boss as a surprise candidate to take over from at Stamford Bridge.
Ex-Brighton manager Potter was .
Potter’s reign in west London started brightly but results soon fell away, with Chelsea dropping to 11th in the Premier League following .
It was Potter’s 11th defeat in 31 games since replacing Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel in September.
Chelsea have to replace Potter but are also looking closer to home for their third manager under owner Todd Boehly.
The say Fulham’s Silva has emerged as a surprise Chelsea target, with Boehly said to be impressed by the job he has done at Craven Cottage.
After securing Fulham’s promotion from the Championship last season, Silva has guided Fulham into the top-half of the Premier League.
The west Londoners were one of the favourites to be relegated at the start of the campaign but rather than fearing the drop, Fulham are aiming for Europe with 10 games remaining.
Before joining Fulham in 2021, 45-year-old Portuguese manager Silva had spells at Everton, Watford and Hull City.
While Chelsea continue to weigh up their managerial options, Boehly is expected to wait until the summer to make his final decision on Potter’s successor.
That means interim boss Bruno Saltor will likely be in charge of the team for the rest of the season. While Chelsea have little to play for in the Premier League, they are still in the Champions League and .
Explaining their decision to sack Potter, Chelsea owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said: ‘On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea.
‘We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.
‘Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter final ahead.
‘We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high.’
Chelsea, who are also , return to action on Tuesday night with Liverpool visiting Stamford Bridge.
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