New deal on way for Tuchel who’s ‘in the right place’
THOMAS TUCHEL has opened the door to extending his Chelsea contract as he approaches the final 12 months of his deal. The German’s impact at Stamford Bridge has been profound since he replaced Frank Lampard in January — losing just twice in 19 games. That run has fired the Blues into the FA Cup final, the Champions League semi-finals and put the club back on course for a top-four finish. However, Tuchel only signed an 18-month contract when he arrived, though his deal will be extended should he meet various performance-related targets. The 47-year-old was initially reluctant to sign for Chelsea given the short-term contract on offer, but the Blues are almost certain to reward him with an extension following his brilliant start. Asked whether he feels he deserves a longer contract after Saturday’s win over Manchester City, Tuchel said: ‘If I deserve to stay I am super happy to stay and I will try to stay as long as possible. I feel a part of the Chelsea family. ‘The club is super professional, we have unbelievable quality of support, amount of support and we have a team which is a pleasure to be on the sideline with. It is a pleasure to fight with this team. ‘So I don’t care what it says on my contract, I need to deserve to stay longer. If I deserve to stay longer, then I will stay longer. ‘This is what I demand from myself. I feel free at the moment, I feel good — I’m in the right place at the right moment. ‘Everything will fall into place when it is there and if I want to stay longer I need to deliver week in, week out.’ However, the future of Chelsea’s top scorer this season, Tammy Abraham, is looking less certain after another non-appearance. MailOnline revealed on Saturday morning that Tuchel had not included the England striker in his squad, despite the fact he was permitted to name nine players on the bench and make five substitutions. Abraham is fully fit and has trained well since recovering from a niggling ankle injury. The 23-year-old’s last appearance was in the 1-1 draw at Southampton on February 20. He was in the previous three match-day squads before Saturday’s semi-final win over City.