‘Cosy’ Man Utd given huge Tuchel boost amid Chelsea stress

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is ‘open’ to the possibility of joining Man Utd in the summer, according to reports.

Roman Abramovich’s UK and now EU sanctions amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continue to bite hard for the Blues, who cannot sell any new tickets to supporters.

Now UEFA expect Chelsea – who beat Lille in the last 16 of the Champions League earlier this week – will not be able to have any fans at future Champions League matches while Abramovich is the club’s owner.

Big Weekend: Boro v Chelsea, Leeds, Spence, El Clasico

Chelsea’s sale continues to move apace, and the Stamford Bridge club could even have a new owner by the Champions League’s April quarter-finals.

But it is understood that Man Utd are hoping to take advantage of the situation at Stamford Bridge with a report on Wednesday insisting that Tuchel was now firmly on the Red Devils’ radar.

The Guardian claimed that ‘the London club’s predicament has alerted the United hierarchy’ who are ‘monitoring his situation’.

Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino and current Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag were understood to be the frontrunners for the role but Tuchel’s potential availability has added a new dimension to United’s search for a new manager.

Despite the stress of the situation at Chelsea, Tuchel has guided the Blues to five wins in their last five matches in all competitions as the German looks to forge a successful campaign.

And now The Athletic reckon Tuchel would be ‘open’ to pursuing a move to Old Trafford when Ralf Rangnick moves into a consultancy role in the summer.

The Athletic claims:

‘Tuchel has given indications he will stay on under a new owner but there is no guarantee the picture at Chelsea settles down, and some sources believe he would be open to hearing United’s pitch.

‘Such a coup requires United to act with the scale of ambition heralded in those financial calls to investors. Sources familiar with the workings at the club say the atmosphere can be “too cosy” around a necessary sporting edge.’

When asked about the prospect of playing without fans after their victory over Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday, Tuchel replied: “Thanks for ruining my evening!

“I was in such a good mood, can we speak about it when it’s confirmed? Let’s wait for the confirmation of the confirmation.

“Let’s see, today I’m happy that we are in the last eight. There were a lot of things to overcome, so I’m so happy and so proud. So let’s see. It’s the first thing I hear now.

“In three days we play Middlesbrough in the cup, then we have the national break, and then I’ll think about a good answer.

“The fans are outside right now and it was brilliant to be with them.”