Carlo Ancelotti eyes return to Premier League after being sacked by Bayern Munich

Carlo Ancelotti would prefer a return to the Premier League to continue his management career after being sacked by Bayern Munich.

The 58-year-old Italian was expected to leave Bayern at the end of this season, with a break clause in his contract and Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann lined up to replace him, but was dismissed on Thursday after months of growing discontent at the club.

That culminated in the 3-0 Champions League defeat away to Ancelotti’s former club, Paris Saint-Germain, with Bayern’s chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge saying: “The performance of our team since the start of the season did not meet the expectations we put on them.

“I would like to thank Carlo for his cooperation. Carlo is my friend and will remain my friend, but we had to make a professional decision. The game in Paris clearly showed that we had to draw consequences.”

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Ancelotti was sacked upon Bayern’s return to Munich on Thursday with his assistant, the former Bayern defender and French international Willy Sagnol, put in charge. The dismissal places Bayern in a difficult situation given it is unlikely that they will be able to bring Nagelsmann to the club earlier than planned and it may well be they keep Sagnol – who was a Bayern appointment - in place for the rest of this season. Former Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is also available.

The writing has been on the wall for Ancelotti for some time despite him winning the German title last season, his first at the club, with Bayern only reaching the last eight of the Champions League and the semi-finals of the German Cup. Bayern are currently third in the Bundesliga.

Ancelotti, with his outstanding record, having won league titles in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany, and the Champions League three times as a coach, will certainly be in demand. There are likely to be offers from around the world and possibly back in Italy at AC Milan unless their current coach Vincenzo Montella can improve the club’s fortunes.

But it is understood that Ancelotti would still like to return to England, if the right club becomes available, having spent two seasons at Chelsea where he became the first manager there to win the league and FA Cup double.

West Ham United did make contact with Ancelotti before they hired Slaven Bilic as their manager and with Bilic in the final year of his contract and under pressure at the club it could be that they make a move for him once again. Whether he will regard West Ham as a big enough club remains to be seen.

Manchester United were keen to hire Ancelotti as first Sir Alex Ferguson’s replacement and then after David Moyes was sacked, but Jose Mourinho is in a rock-solid position at the club and there is more chance that he will extend his contract rather than him leaving.

Liverpool interviewed Ancelotti before they hired Jurgen Klopp while Arsenal would be an ideal club for him but Arsene Wenger has only just gone into another two-year contract at the Emirates.