Thomas Tuchel keen on Manchester United job but Bayern fighting to keep him
Thomas Tuchel is hoping for an offer from Manchester United should Erik ten Hag leave Old Trafford, although Bayern Munich are attempting to talk him into remaining as their head coach.
Talks have taken place to ascertain whether Tuchel might stay with Bayern who have been embarrassed at being turned down by a number of their targets.
If Tuchel does agree to carry on at Bayern he will ask for certain conditions to be met including more control on transfers and a contract extension beyond next year.
There is no suggestion that United have made any contact with Tuchel or his representatives. United had not made any decision on Ten Hag’s future ahead of their final home game of the season against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening.
A lap of appreciation was given the go-ahead, despite United’s poor season which has left them 34 points adrift of Manchester City and likely to miss out on European football. Ten Hag has rejected suggestions it might be a farewell for him to the United fans. “Goodbye for me? It’s not how I see it,” he said.
Telegraph Sport revealed on Tuesday that Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has emerged as a strong contender to replace Ten Hag should he be dismissed, however. United have made it clear they want a head coach rather than a manager as part of their re-structuring under technical director Jason Wilcox and sporting director Dan Ashworth, when he eventually arrives. If Ten Hag stays he will have to adapt.
‘I loved it in England and I loved it in the Premier League’
Tuchel, the former Chelsea head coach, spoke about his enthusiasm for the Premier League before last week’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid which ended in a dramatic and controversial defeat.
“I loved it in England and I loved it in the Premier League for sure. It was a very, very special time and I remember it well,” he said and it is understood his preference is to make a return to England and he would be extremely keen to talk to United should the vacancy arise. He has coveted the job for some time.
Whether Tuchel fits the profile of the kind of manager they would want remains to be seen but it appears to be unlikely as things stand.
Bayern had announced in February that Tuchel would be leaving the club at the end of the season and that they were going in a different “direction”. The manager reiterated that this was still the case last week.
The German club have endured a difficult campaign, surrendering the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen after winning it 11 years in a row and ending the season without a trophy.
But Bayern have struggled to find a replacement with Xabi Alonso deciding to stay at Leverkusen and being turned down by Julian Nagelsmann – who signed a new contract with the German national team – and Austrian national coach Ralf Rangnick.
It appears to have led to rethink and Tuchel’s agent, Olaf Meinking, was photographed in a meeting with the Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen, sporting director Christoph Freund and Max Eberl, the club’s board member for sport, at their training ground.
Tuchel is also said to still enjoy strong support from within the Bayern dressing room and among the club’s supporters with a petition having been started.