Thomas Tuchel and Bayern handed boost as Barcelona drop interest in Chelsea star - Reports
Bayern Munich have been handed a boost as Barcelona have dropped interest in Chelsea star Kai Havertz. Newly appointed Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel is interested in a reunion with the German and is eyeing a summer move.
According to a report in El Nacional, Barcelona have decided to drop out of the race to sign Havertz. The German was seen as the ideal player to add competition to Robert Lewandowski, but the Catalan side are looking elsewhere.
Tuchel worked with the forward and is now plotting a reunion at Bayern Munich. The German side did not sign a senior striker last summer despite Lewandowski's departure but are looking to make amends.
Kai Havertz was recently asked about the possible reunion, and he said:
"Bayern are generally a huge club that it's hard to say no to as a German player, but my personal goal has always been to play abroad at some point. In England or Spain. I had a very good relationship with him and am very grateful for everything. You never know what will happen in football. Everything can happen very quickly. Never say never."
Thomas Tuchel was shocked at Chelsea sacking
Thomas Tuchel was sacked by Chelsea in September and replaced by Graham Potter. The German was stunned at the decision and claimed that it was a short meeting of just 3-5 minutes early in the morning.
He told Daily Mail:
"It was a shock. I felt it, strangely, when I drove to the training centre. The meeting we had felt unusual – and it turned out to be a very short meeting. It was 8am, or something, and it lasted three to five minutes. I was also not in the mood to talk longer."
He added:
"The decision had been made and, honestly, it was a shock for all of us. We had a feeling that we were in the right spot at the right time. We felt that we could achieve big things and we wanted to stay longer – it was as simple as that. We had big relationships, huge relationships within the staff. We still do. How long did it take me to get over? It still hurts in a way."
Potter has also been sacked by Chelsea after a string of poor results. Julian Nagelsmann, the manager whom Tuchel replaced at Bayern, is the leading candidate for the job at Stamford Bridge.