Thomas Frank stepping up Brentford pre-season plans despite Bayern Munich contact over manager's role

Bayern Munich have added Brentford boss Thomas Frank to their shortlist of managerial candidates to replace Thomas Tuchel.

Burnley’s Vincent Kompany is also understood to be on the Bavarians’ radar, as Bayern look to step up their search for a new manager.

Former Chelsea boss Tuchel is now definitively leaving Bayern, despite last week holding talks with Munich chiefs on a possible last-minute U-turn.

The German giants are now pressing ahead with their search for a new manager and Bees boss Frank is understood to be among the candidates.

Bayern chiefs are thought to have sounded out Frank’s representatives about his status, though Brentford are understood not to have received any contact from the German club.

Frank has spent time at Brentford this week stepping up pre-season preparations and talking with club staff about other summer plans, Standard Sport understands.

Danish boss Frank is known to be happy at Brentford and still enthused by the scope for further progress with the Bees.

The 50-year-old joined Brentford as an assistant coach in 2016, taking the top job in 2018 and winning Premier League promotion in 2021. The west Londoners have since established themselves as solid top-flight operators, winning widespread acclaim for prudent and progressive administration.

Brentford chiefs are thought to remain confident that Frank will still be at the Bees helm next term, to lead the club into its fourth Premier League campaign.

Bayern are wrestling with an issue facing all Europe’s biggest hitters, namely a gap in the production line of elite, experienced coaches.

Frank’s technical prowess marks him out as a coach of the highest potential, but the former Brondby boss does not possess the usual levels of continental competition experience or success that Bayern would expect to demand from a new manager.

Brentford still hold the highest hopes for Frank’s ultimate coaching ceiling and those expectations are shared in wider footballing circles.