Thomas Tuchel urged Manchester United to sign 31-year-old ex-Chelsea star during talks to take over at Old Trafford: Reports
Thomas Tuchel reportedly urged Manchester United to sign former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger during talks to take over the reins of the club as a possible Erik ten Hag replacement. The German gaffer is currently out of a job following his bittersweet stint with Bayern Munich.
According to The Times (via Metro), the former Chelsea gaffer met INEOS CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe to possibly take over as The Red Devils' manager, but the talk didn't go too well. The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager eventually opted to take a break from managing.
Other than bringing Rudiger on board, Tuchel also discussed getting the best of former Chelsea player Mason Mount. The Englishman played a key role in the Blues' UEFA Champions League victory in 2021. However, his debut season with Manchester United was plagued with injuries.
The German gaffer managed both Rudiger and Mount at Stamford Bridge and felt his reunion with the two players could help them unleash their potential. In addition, the report adds that the two also discussed Jadon Sancho's situation at Old Trafford.
The 50-year-old discussed getting the Englishman back to the Premier League. Sancho found himself benched following a dispute with Ten Hag. The report, however, adds that The Red Devils have cooled their interest in the German gaffer.
Manchester United finished eighth in the Premier League last season
The Red Devils recorded their worst Premier League outing last season after finishing eighth. However, Manchester United redeemed themselves by defeating cross-city rivals Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup.
With the win, the Red Devils booked a place in the UEFA Europa League. Chelsea, who finished sixth, have been demoted to the Europa Conference League and will compete in the third tier of European competition.
Be that as it may, United last won the Europa League in 2017 when they defeated Ajax 2-0 in the final. Interestingly, the Dutch club was being managed by Erik ten Hag at the time.
Manchester United haven't made a decision regarding the Dutch manager yet.