Tuchel tells Boehly he’ll stay for as long as needed to challenge duopoly
THOMAS TUCHEL has told Todd Boehly he wants to break the dominance of Manchester City and Liverpool — and the Chelsea manager has made it clear he needs the American to back his Stamford Bridge rebuild.
Tuchel is planning an overhaul this summer, with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen walking away as free agents, while Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso could also go. The German admits that has forced him to rethink his transfer plans.
Loanees Armando Broja and Levi Colwill will be given the chance to force their way into his thoughts, while Conor Gallagher will be immediately thrust into the first-team squad after his outstanding season at Crystal Palace.
But Tuchel knows he needs to sign top-class talent, with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde in line to be the first signing once Boehly’s takeover is complete. The sanctions placed on Roman Abramovich have left Chelsea playing catch-up, with the club unable to approach targets until the Russian is bought out. But Tuchel is adamant he will be ready to go head-to-head with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp once more.
He said: “Players are going out. We are rebuilding — not improving the squad — we are rebuilding. This is always challenging, but we are up for the challenge. What I can promise is that I will be here — if I can promise that. I will be here with full energy and positive energy, no matter what.
“We will still work for Chelsea and I refuse to think of negative scenarios. We will be competitive, on which level we will see.
“It will be very challenging to make up for the disadvantage, given the situation of the other two teams — City and Liverpool — who are already improving the squad and set one benchmark after the other in all aspects of the game.
Things are not easier for us. Normally at this time of the season you are contacting players, you are out, you get a feeling, a read, you have discussions, you have dialogue, you have feedback, you know who is committed, you find your targets, or you sign your players or you go from there to the next step.”
Tuchel admits the departures of Rudiger and Christensen are a major blow — revealing he had hoped he would only need to find cover for 37-year-old Thiago Silva this summer.
He added: “We had a core in the back three and we even have an issue with
Thiago. He is not Benjamin Button. It seems like he is, but he’s not. He is getting older actually.
“It would have maybe been enough to find a natural replacement for this kind of position and keep everybody else. Suddenly we lose two, three, three-anda-half players at the back and this is actually concerning. It is a huge, huge challenge, given the fact that you cannot act.
“Everybody else is driving from the start and you are still not finding the right gear. This is where we are. It is a long race, still it is a long race, but we don’t give up, but it makes it a bit more complicated.”
On targets, Tuchel (left) said: “We have an idea, but unfortunately the guys don’t know that we have an idea and nor do the clubs. “We need also to find out what the ideas of the new owners are. This is also a key point.”
Tuchel will hold talks with Azpilicueta over his future at the end of the season. The defender has triggered a one-year extension but is the subject of interest from Barcelona.
Tuchel said: “I would hope strongly [he stays]. He knows this.”