Chelsea ‘disappointed’ with Thomas Tuchel amid plans to raid Chelsea
Chelsea are ‘disappointed’ with Thomas Tuchel after he went public with his desire to add Anthony Barry to his new-look Bayern Munich coaching staff.
The German’s return to management was confirmed last week after the Bundesliga heavyweights made the merciless and unexpected decision to part ways with Julian Nagelsmann.
Tuchel has been out of employment since his own bitter exit from Chelsea in September following the near complete breakdown in his relationship with Todd Boehly.
The 49-year-old had been keen on working in the Premier League again, with Tottenham interested in hiring him, but the lure of Bayern proved impossible to resist.
Tuchel worked with Barry during their time together in west London and he is eager to be reunited with a coach who is presently merging his duties at Chelsea with the Portugal national team.
Speaking at a news briefing on Saturday, Tuchel said: ‘My coaching team wasn’t prepared either, so a huge thank you to their families for their adaptability.
‘Arno Michels and Zsolt Low, who have been collaborating with me for over ten years, will be there. We’re looking to add Anthony Barry, who is presently at Chelsea.’
Chelsea, according to the Daily Telegraph, were upset with their previous boss for stating his plan to prise Barry from Graham Potter.
Bayern are now understood to have given a compensation deal but it is said to fall significantly short of Chelsea’s value and Barry will remain away from the club until his position is settled.
Tuchel, meanwhile, is already plotting a second assault on Chelsea and is expecting to acquire important midfielder Mateo Kovacic in the summer.
The seasoned Croatia international enjoyed probably the finest spell of his career under Tuchel during Chelsea’s run to Champions League success two years ago.
Kovacic will have just a year left on his current contract come the summer and with Manchester City also monitoring his position he could decide to pursue a new challenge.
Tuchel is a big admirer of the 28-year-old’s and said last year: ‘He appears like a wonderkid in training in some drills. A lovely man, a humble character, and so engaged in sports activities. He’s so happy to train and perform for the squad. It’s a genuine joy.
‘Even at Real Madrid, I was conscious of his talent, and I sensed there was a next step approaching. I’m very pleased that he’s my star and plays a lot this season. He is important to us on the field and off the pitch in the way he behaves.’
