Thomas Tuchel is expecting a ‘very demanding summer’ at Chelsea and admits the club’s ‘hands are tied’ amid the uncertain ownership situation at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are in the midst of a takeover process at present following the sanctions placed on Roman Abramovich, with the final bidders awaiting to discover which of them has been selected as the preferred candidate.
The process – which requires a passing of the Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ test and approval from the UK Government – has meant Chelsea’s transfer plans are on hold.
The West Londoners are set to target defensive additions with both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen expected to leave on free transfers and Tuchel is expecting a ‘demanding summer’ for the Blues and their recruitment team.
Tuchel was asked on what he expects from Chelsea this summer ahead of the club’s clash with Manchester United on Thursday evening, after opposite number Ralf Rangnick compared the Red Devils’ rebuild to ‘open heart surgery’.
“Cosmetic surgery,” Tuchel joked at his pre-match press conference. “I would be less concerned if we still had the same ownership, if we could rely on our structure.
“As this is in question we are aware of the danger that the situation is maybe a bit more complex. And it can be complex enough if you lose a player like Toni, and maybe lose another like Andreas, both of them free.
“It is demanding nowadays in football to lose this kind of quality, even if everything else stays in place. So with this in question it can be a very, very demanding summer.”
Tuchel admitted the club’s takeover situation means their ‘hands are tied’ when it comes to making early moves for potential targets and admits the situation at Stamford Bridge is ‘not ideal’.
“You’re never fully sure, but we would have some targets and we would for sure have contacted some players and found out about their situations,” he said. “Now our hands are tied: we can still have the talks inside the building but we cannot act.
“The situation is not ideal. It would be challenging enough with a stable situation. We don’t have that so everyone is doing it for the first time. And we try to show our commitment, our passion, for it and maybe it is very important for me to give this message: I’m committed, I’m looking forward to it and I’m passionate about it. And as soon as we can act we will try to turn things around and make it, from a disadvantage, maybe an advantage.”
