Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Manchester United should poach Thomas Tuchel amid Chelsea’s turmoil.
It has been a disastrous start to the month for Chelsea. After Roman Abramovich announced his decision to sell the club at the end of February, the UK Government has gone ahead to sanction the Russian billionaire for several reasons, including favourable tax breaks to his companies and close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The sanction applies to Chelsea Football Club in extension as they are wholly owned by Abramovich. It has left the club in limbo, with many prominent staff members, including sporting director Marina Granovskaia and chairman Bruce Buck expected to leave the club in light of the ongoing turmoil.
Another victim of this chaos could be Thomas Tuchel, who had close ties with Abramovich and might be forced to consider a future elsewhere if Chelsea remain placed under a lengthened transfer embargo amid other restrictions.
Writing in his column for Daily Telegraph, Jamie Carragher has urged Manchester United to exploit this situation and poach the German. The Red Devils are currently on the lookout for a new manager, but the former Liverpool defender believes very few can match the credentials of Tuchel.
“In a little over a year at Chelsea, Tuchel has performed extraordinarily well. He has already reached every major final, winning the Champions League and re-establishing Chelsea’s place in the top four. He is the only coach in England who comes close to being in the same class as Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp,” Carragher wrote in his column.
Tuchel was awarded The Best Men’s Coach Award in 2021 for guiding Chelsea to UEFA Champions League success last season, only half a year after being appointed as the replacement for Frank Lampard.
“He has also shown he has the temperament to work at the biggest clubs managing big players. Witness his no-nonsense approach to Romelu Lukaku this season. There is never a doubt the Chelsea manager is the boss in that dressing room. That can never be taken for granted, as successive Manchester United managers have discovered since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement,” Carragher added.
Speaking to the media earlier this month, Tuchel reacted positively towards the ongoing Chelsea crisis, stating his desire to continue in west London. However, with the Blues now under a transfer embargo, the German may rethink his stance.
“United can offer him the security and backing every top coach craves. Yes, it will seem a predatory move – taking advantage of Chelsea’s crisis – but from United and Tuchel’s perspective the more you consider it, the more of a no-brainer it is,” Carragher added in his column, urging Manchester United to make a move for the Chelsea manager.
As things stand, Mauricio Pochettino is currently leading the race to become the next Manchester United boss. But the Argentine has come under heavy scrutiny this week, following Paris Saint-Germain’s shock elimination from the UEFA Champions League. With Erik ten Hag and even Ralph Hasenhuttl also an option, it will be interesting to see who ends up at the helm of Man United next season.