Thomas Tuchel will definitely feel wronged after being viciously ousted by Chelsea on Wednesday following their Champions League defeat to Dinamo Zagreb. The new Blues owner Todd Boehly sacked the German manager of his duties just hours after they were defeated in Croatia, with Brighton manager Graham Potter widely thought to have been lined up as the former’s replacement in the dugout.
Tuchel’s next move is unknown, but the 49-year-old is still considered as one of Europe’s top managers having won the Champions League with Chelsea just two seasons ago.
If he is enticed by the prospect of an instant return to the bench, he may be persuaded to consider replacing the newly-vacated post at RB Leipzig, who sacked Domenico Tedesco earlier on Wednesday.
Tuchel would be able to return to his native Germany, where he cut his managerial teeth with Mainz and Borussia Dortmund before joining Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2018.
It would also allow him to coach in the Champions League while working alongside some of his alleged transfer targets from his time at Chelsea, such as highly rated defender Josko Gvardiol.
Tuchel, on the other hand, would be compelled to reestablish his working relationship with ex-Blues forward Timo Werner, who underperformed at Stamford Bridge before being declared surplus to requirements and sent back to Leipzig during the summer transfer window.
Tuchel, though, appears unlikely to join Leipzig regardless of his desire, with the Bundesliga heavyweights said to have chosen Marco Rose as their primary managerial priority.
According to Fabrizio Romano, an agreement between Leipzig and Rose is anticipated to be made in the coming days, implying that Tuchel has already been disregarded by the club’s Red Bull-led ownership group.
Other interesting options will undoubtedly offer themselves soon, as Tuchel considers a future away from Chelsea in the aftermath of the club’s stunning decision to fire him.
He is expected to be replaced at Stamford Bridge by Potter, who has established himself as one of the Premier League’s top coaches since taking over at Brighton in 2019.
The Seagulls are thought to have already granted Chelsea permission to talk with their manager, with the Blues eager to finalize his appointment before Saturday’s lunchtime match against Fulham.
Former England defender Danny Mills has already warned Potter against jumping ship to Chelsea, believing that he may live to regret his decision if he chooses to quit his project at Brighton to replace Tuchel in west London.
“It’s really difficult to turn down because Chelsea is a great football club, a huge step up in terms of where you could go, playing Champions League games,” Mills explained to Sky Sports News.
“It appears to be a bit of a snake hole right now, with all of those new guys coming in, lots of different perspectives, and the ownership structure.” We’re not sure who’s on top of things, who reports to whom, and who’s in command.
“Graham Potter is a highly rated coach.” Managing Chelsea is about controlling egos and players, not necessarily about being a good coach.”