Chelsea have not held talks with former manager Thomas Tuchel about returning to the club, following Mauricio Pochettino’s exit from Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino has left his role as Chelsea manager following an end-of-season review with the club’s hierarchy, in which philosophical differences and last season’s sixth-placed finish contributed to his departure.
Chelsea will now conduct their search for a fourth permanent manager since September 2022, following the dismissals of Tuchel, Graham Potter and Pochettino. Tuchel has been linked with a potential return to the Premier League after leaving Bayern Munich by mutual consent.
The German has been named as an option for Manchester United as the pressure on Erik ten Hag’s position increases, while Chelsea have now been suggested as a potential destination.
Tuchel won three trophies during a 20-month spell at Chelsea, including the 2021 Champions League, and recently spoke fondly to TNT Sports of his time in West London.
“I’d rather not answer but it is no secret that I loved it at Chelsea, 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 very well.”
However, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that there have been no talks between Chelsea and Tuchel at this stage. The Blues have also not held discussions with Tuchel’s compatriot, Hansi Flick, despite suggestions the former Bayern Munich and Germany boss would be open to the move.
Among the options under consideration are said to include Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness, Girona’s Michel, Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, and Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca.
