Chelsea disappointed after Thomas Tuchel makes move for coach Anthony Barry

Chelsea have received an approach from Bayern Munich for highly rated coach Anthony Barry, but the club are disappointed with their former head coach Thomas Tuchel for making his interest public.

It is understood that Barry is interested in linking up with Tuchel again in Germany, but it is thought that Bayern are yet to offer Chelsea any compensation for the 36-year-old.

Tuchel confirmed Telegraph Sport’s story that he wanted to take Barry from Chelsea as part of his Bayern backroom team in his first press conference since succeeding Julian Nagelsmann.

Confirming his plans, Tuchel said: “My coaching staff wasn't prepared either, so a big thank you to their families for their flexibility. Arno Michels and Zsolt Low, who have been working with me for over 10 years, will be there. We're hoping to add Anthony Barry, who is currently at Chelsea.”

Although they were already aware the club could face a battle to keep hold of Barry, Chelsea were disappointed that Tuchel went public with his desire to reunite with the coach, who was first taken to Stamford Bridge by Frank Lampard.

Tuchel was sacked by Chelsea in September, just three months after the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital takeover, and was forced to leave England just before Christmas because the club did not give him "gardening leave" that would have extended his visa.

Chelsea could come face-to-face with their former head coach before the end of the season, should Bayern and Chelsea both qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Tuchel won the 2021 Champions League with Chelsea, just four months after succeeding Lampard.

Barry is under contract at Stamford Bridge, which means Chelsea must agree to his release even if the former midfielder expresses a desire to join up with Tuchel again.

Following the sacking of Lampard, Barry stayed at Chelsea to work with Tuchel and the pair won the Champions League, before becoming a member of Graham Potter’s first-team staff. He worked for the Republic of Ireland before joining Roberto Martinez at Belgium for the World Cup and now moving with the Spaniard to Portugal.

Barry was the first student at St George’s Park to have course research published as an academic journal.