Graham Potter among the contenders to take over at Brighton

Brighton have begun the search for a new manager after sacking Chris Hughton.

Swansea boss Graham Potter is the early favourite to take over the Seagulls, who finished 17th in the Premier League, two points above the relegation zone.

Here, Press Association Sport looks at the contenders to replace Hughton at the Amex Stadium.

Graham Potter

Graham Potter was appointed by Swansea last summer

Graham Potter was appointed by Swansea last summer (Nick Potts/PA)

Swansea boss Potter has quickly emerged as the odds-on favourite among bookmakers. The 43-year-old joined the Swans from Swedish club Ostersund last summer and secured a 10th-placed finish in the Sky Bet Championship. He has steadied the ship at the Liberty Stadium following Premier League relegation and created an attractive brand of football with a young squad and limited resources.

Phil Neville

Phil Neville named his World Cup squad last week

Phil Neville named his World Cup squad last week (Ian West/PA)

While vastly experienced as a player, Neville is only just taking his first steps in management. The 42-year-old former Manchester United and Everton player is currently preparing to lead England at the Women’s World Cup, which starts in just over three weeks. He has only been in that job since January 2018 and has a contract which runs until the end of the 2021 European Championship campaign.

Michael O’Neill

Michael O’Neill has managed Northern Ireland since 2011

Michael O’Neill has managed Northern Ireland since 2011 (Niall Carson/PA)

After more than seven years in international football, O’Neill might be persuaded to turn his back on the Northern Ireland team he successfully guided to Euro 2016. Northern Ireland currently top their Euro 2020 qualifying group but, with Holland and Germany for competition, their hopes of reaching the finals look slim. The 49-year-old has never previously managed in England.

Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta, left, is working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City

Mikel Arteta, left, is working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City (Martin Rickett/PA)

The Spaniard was at the Amex Stadium for Hughton’s final match as he celebrated a Premier League title success in his role as Manchester City assistant manager. He was heavily linked with replacing Arsene Wenger as Arsenal boss last summer and is expected to step into a management role at some point. However, with City dominating English football, the 37-year-old may prefer to continue his education under Pep Guardiola.

Alex Neil

Alex Neil recently signed a new contract with Preston

Alex Neil recently signed a new contract with Preston (Anthony Devlin/PA)

The Scot was heavily linked with the vacant West Brom job. He put an end to the speculation by signing a new three-year contract with Preston last month. The 37-year-old’s current club clearly do not want to lose him but, if Albion come calling, another opportunity to work in the Premier League may prove difficult to resist for the former Norwich manager.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

FourFourTwo Staff

FourFourTwo was launched in 1994 on the back of a World Cup that England hadn’t even qualified for. It was an act of madness… but it somehow worked out. Our mission is to offer our intelligent, international audience access to the game’s biggest names, insightful analysis... and a bit of a giggle. We unashamedly love this game and we hope that our coverage reflects that.