‘If he gets the chance to leave for a club of United’s stature, he must take it’
Jamie Carragher believes that Manchester United have been presented with the ‘ideal opportunity’ to hire Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel as their manager after Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government.
On Thursday, Chelsea owner Abramovich was sanctioned by the government as a result of his close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. He is one of several high-profile Russians with interests in the UK who was named in a government report which sees all of their assets frozen.
While the Blues are still able to operate under hugely restrictive rules – which prevent them from offering contracts, buying players and even selling tickets and merchandise – the sanctions on Abramovich could lead to out-of-contract players, such as a Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen, leaving the club for free in the summer.
Explained: How will sanctions against Roman Abramovich affect Chelsea?https://t.co/4N7aKWOD0Y
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Given the uncertainty surround Chelsea at the minute, Carragher thinks that Tuchel – who led Chelsea to Champions League glory last season – would have every right to walk away from the Blues, suggesting that United would be the perfect destination.
“Manchester United have been presented with the ideal opportunity to recruit the manager who should be their number one target: Thomas Tuchel,” Carragher wrote in his Telegraph column.
“Given the events at Chelsea, United’s decision to wait until the end of the season presents them with a choice no-one could have foreseen.
“One of the best managers in the world – the current Fifa coach of the year – must be top of their list.
“Tuchel, like everyone else at Stamford Bridge, will have no idea what the future holds at his current club. No-one can offer him any assurances about how the squad will look at the start of next season given the club’s sale is on hold.
“No manager wants to be working amid such a background of uncertainty. If he gets the chance to leave for a club of United’s stature, he must take it.
“United can offer him the security and backing every top coach craves. Yes, it will seem a predatory move – taking advantage of Chelsea’s crisis – but from United and Tuchel’s perspective the more you consider it, the more of a no-brainer it is.
“Every chief executive in the world looking for a new coach will be – or at least should be – monitoring Tuchel’s mood and public comments between now and the end of the season.
“Only clubs of a certain calibre could attract him. It would be negligent of United to fail to sound him out. As a coach, he is exactly what they need.”
🗣️ Jamie Carragher: "There is another advantage for Tuchel if he could be tempted to #mufc. His mentor Rangnick is in temporary charge, if #mufc are keen to retain his services in an advisory capacity and ask him who should takeover – who'll he tell them to call?" [@TeleFootball]
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) March 10, 2022
He added: “Let’s not forget that his mentor – Ralf Rangnick – is in temporary charge. If United are as keen to retain Rangnick’s services in an advisory capacity as they claimed when recruiting him – and they ask him who should take over – who will he tell them to call?”
Chelsea issued their first statement since sanctions against club owner Abramovich were announced as a result of his ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin, clarifying how they will affect the running of the club.
Related links:
The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10
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