LOSING MY MIDAS TUCH

As takeover edges closer, Tuchel is in the dark about the club’s future but, under Boehly, Chelsea will have to tighten their belts

THOMAS TUCHEL is planning a major squad overhaul at Chelsea.

And yet the manager still has no idea what next season at Stamford Bridge will look like – other than he will still be in charge.

Tuchel will be losing defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen in the summer while Manchester City have signed Europe’s hottest property in Erling Haaland.

“It is a very big task,” said Tuchel. “We tried to replace with Haaland but he is now gone!”

Tuchel has met LA Dodgers tycoon Todd Boehly (above, right) who is in the final stages of buying the club, but the reality is the Government has yet to approve the complex deal.

Blues owner Roman Abramovich is confident the deal will go through, but the Government has concerns about where the proceeds are going and also details of an outstanding £1.5billion loan.

The club is under sanctions over everything from travel costs to tickets, with staff even being forced to share cars to away games to stop them claiming mileage on separate journeys.

That is a far cry from the lavish days of Abramovich (above, left) when money was no object, the biggest stars arrived and they won the Champions League twice.

Now whatever happens next – or more accurately when – the Boehly regime is certain to be different if it follows the typical model of American ownership of more selfsufficiency.

Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United spend big, but it is a far cry from the Chelsea of recent past.

That is telling in Tuchel’s comments about this summer. Big players in Rudiger and Christensen are going while he wants Sevilla’s Jules Kounde to come in.

But, for now, Tuchel can only think about bringing back Armando Broja and Conor Gallagher from loan.

While they may have in the past considered letting Cesar Azpiliciueta return to Spain, now, having triggered a contract extension, they want to keep him for his leadership both on and off the pitch.

“We will be competitive, on which level we will see,” added Tuchel, whose side face Leicester tonight.

“We are rebuilding, not improving the squad. This is always challenging but we are up for that.

“I don’t know where we are from day one. What I can promise is that I will be here – if I can promise that!

“I will be here with full and positive energy no matter what. We will still work for Chelsea and I refuse to think of negative scenarios.

“Normally at this time of the season you are contacting players. You get a feeling, a read, you have dialogue, you have feedback, you know who is committed, you find your targets, or you sign your players or go to the next step.

“We had a core in the back three and even have an issue with Thiago Silva. He is not Benjamin Button. It seems like he is, but he’s not.

“It would have maybe been enough to find a natural replacement for this position and keep everybody else. Suddenly we lose two, three, three-and-a-half players at the back and this is actually concerning.

“We are still in a dialogue with Azpi. We’re not responsible to solve any other club’s problems or wishes. Given the fact we’ll lose key defenders, it’s not the ideal scenario to think about losing Azpi, even if I can understand his personal point of view.

“It is difficult and has been difficult for the club since the sanctions.

“There is no need to lose sleep after this season, but there’s a lot of ambition in us that is not satisfied.”