Manchester United have failed to sign Thomas Tuchel, and the former Chelsea boss has agreed to become England’s new head coach.
The FA have made an official statement to confirm that Thomas Tuchel has agreed to become the new England head coach as both parties have reached a common ground after negotiations. An official unveiling is expected this week as he is all set to be the Three Lions’ first German-born manager, taking over from Lee Carsley on January 1, 2025.
It is a massive blow for Manchester United, who according to a report from TBR Football were in talks with him regarding the job at Old Trafford. With Erik ten Hag’s position under scrutiny following a poor start to the new season, the club had informed the former Chelsea manager that he was their priority target to replace the Dutch manager. But, they will now have to look elsewhere for a replacement.
Gareth Southgate surely established England as one of the most consistent international teams. Under his guidance, they made it to the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and reached the finals of Euro 2022 and 2024. But, he failed to end their trophy drought and ended up resigning in the summer.
Lee Carsley was asked to take charge as their head coach on an interim basis as their search for a new manager continues. While they were considering multiple options, Mark Bullingham (the chief executive of the FA) and John McDermott (the technical director) reached out to Thomas Tuchel last month to discuss the England job.
Manchester United’s interest pressured the FA to act quickly
While the FA were in no rush, the fact that Manchester United were pushing to appoint Tuchel as their next manager forced them to accelerate their talks. With Erik ten Hag’s future uncertain following a poor start to the new season, the FA stepped up their interest in the last 48 hours.
The talks seem to have gone very well as the 51-year-old has agreed to take on the role of their manager from January 1, 2025. While Tuchel’s financial demands were way higher than that of Gareth Southgate, who earned £5 million a year, the FA have agreed to hand him the job, and they should make an official announcement in the near future.
He is all set to be the highest-paid coach in England’s history, and Pep Guardiola will be the only manager who will be earning more than him in England. Meanwhile, Manchester United will have to start looking at other targets. While ten Hag has been given time to turn things around, they might soon need to bring in a new boss if the results do not improve.
