What next for Thomas Tuchel? Assessing the ideal new club for the former Chelsea manager
Chelsea's decision to sack Thomas Tuchel came as a big surprise despite their lackluster start to the season.
The West London outfit parted ways with their German head coach following the 1-0 defeat at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb. However, it is believed the sacking wasn't entirely motivated by the poor run of form the club has endured since the start of the season.
Chelsea spent over €300m in the recently concluded summer transfer window, but Tuchel wasn't best pleased with the changes to the club's recruitment model under Todd Boehly.
Further, as per BILD, there was a disagreement between Tuchel and Boehly over a potential move for Cristiano Ronaldo. The American businessman was keen on signing the Portuguese superstar, but the former Chelsea boss was against the idea and thought Ronaldo would 'destroy the spirit' in the dressing room.
Chelsea moved quickly to find a new man to take over the helm, and have appointed Graham Potter. The Englishman has been one of the standout Premier League managers over the last two seasons.
Pep has always been a big fan of Potter 🧠 https://t.co/Zzh8rhmKjo
More importantly, there are stylistic similarities between the two managers. Both prefer their back three to move the ball and draw the opposition's press before exploiting the space behind them through wing-backs. As such, Marc Cucurella's move from Brighton to Chelsea made sense despite his huge price tag.
Tuchel, meanwhile, also has a lot of credit in the bank due to his impeccable work at Stamford Bridge. The 49-year-old lifted three trophies, including the Champions League, in less than two seasons with the Blues.
While his CV is apt to manage plenty of Europe's top clubs, it's important that his next destination already possesses a high number of players fit to translate his tactical ideas in a short turnaround.
Juventus could be the perfect landing spot for Tuchel
Massimiliano Allegri's job in Turin appears to be safe at the moment. But there's discontent amongst the fan base over the Old Lady's underwhelming performances and results so far this season. Juventus were played out of the park by PSG in their Champions League opener and find themselves seventh in the Serie A table after five games.
Calls for a managerial change will amplify if Allegri struggles to change his side's fortunes. If the Juve hierarchy does decide to axe Allegri, they should not look any further than Tuchel.
Firstly, an overhaul won't be required at the Allianz Stadium if they decide to replace Allegri with Tuchel due to both managers using identical formations.
Juventus centre-backs Gleison Bremer and Leonardo Bonucci have enough experience of playing in a back-three system and are both comfortable circulating the ball in their own defensive third before moving it forward with accurate long-balls.
Filip Kostic and Juan Cuadrado are tailor-made wing-backs for Tuchel. The duo can provide width and deliver early crosses and are also capable of going direct and rattling the net themselves. They don't shy away from defensive duties either.
Tuchel will also reunite with former PSG midfielders Leandro Paredes and Adrien Rabiot if he moves to Turin.
Jorginho's ability to receive the ball in a tight spot before drawing opponents in and finding teammates in space was key to Chelsea's Champions League winning run. Manuel Locatelli, who's seen as Jorginho's long-term replacement in the Italian national team, has similar traits in possession to replicate the Chelsea midfielder's role in Tuchel's setup.
Chelsea's interest in Frenkie de Jong during the summer transfer window was due to the manager's demand for a midfielder who could drive the ball forward. Paul Pogba has also demonstrated amply during his career how good he is at gliding past defenders.
Juventus have one of the best strikers at their disposal in Dušan Vlahović, who has the pace and elite finishing to get behind the last line, akin to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Ángel Di María is another familiar face the manager could link up with if he becomes Juve manager. The Argentine was one of his most reliable creators in the French capital and still has the legs to make a difference in Serie A.
For now, it remains a far-fetched possibility, but Juventus and Tuchel could be a perfect marriage. The former Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea man is the perfect coach to get the Italian giants back to being title contenders without the need for an extensive ripping up of the squad.