Ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel ‘wanted Premier League return’ before taking England job

Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was said to be keen on a return to the Premier League before accepting the England job, according to a German football expert

Thomas Tuchel was reportedly eyeing a Premier League comeback before taking on the England job.

The Three Lions have welcomed former Chelsea head coach Tuchel as their new boss this week. The ex-Bayern Munich manager has been given an 18-month contract – starting from January – with the expectation that he'll guide the squad into the 2026 World Cup as England aim to make up for a series of semi-final and final heartbreaks at their recent major tournaments.

Tuchel's tenure at Stamford Bridge – his only stint in English football – ended on a sour note with the Blues' hierarchy clashing with Tuchel. He was dismissed just six games into the 2022/23 season, despite his unexpected Champions League triumph in his debut campaign.

However, German football expert Raphael Honigstein has now suggested that England – specifically, a move to the Premier League – was on the 51-year-old's radar off the back of his Bayern exit earlier this year.

"He was really angling for a job in England," Honigstein said while speaking to Gary Lineker on The Rest Is Football podcast. "He wanted to be back in England. He loved it at Chelsea.

"He kept on talking, even at Bayern Munich when he was boss there, how much he loves working with English players, how the dressing room mentality is good. I think he was so willing to listen when they came knocking that, from that perspective, it did not surprise me at all."

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With Erik ten Hag's tenure at Manchester United continuing in shaky fashion, Tuchel had been touted as a contender for the Old Trafford hot seat. The German tactician was even linked with a surprising switch to West Ham following David Moyes' departure, however, Honigstein didn't disclose who exactly was in pursuit of Tuchel, reports the Mirror.

Nevertheless, the former Dortmund manager's ambitions have materialised as he has now made his comeback to English football, albeit in the international game. Honigstein has even suggested that an international role might fit Tuchel better amid past tensions with chiefs at club level.

"The squad is wonderful, especially in the final third of the pitch-there is so much talent," Honigstein said. "But also, unlike at Bayern, PSG, Chelsea and Dortmund, where he always had issues at some stage with the people above him, there is no one above him."

Honigstein also elaborated on Tuchel's control over squad decisions, adding: "None of the things that have rubbed him the wrong way, that have really bothered him in his recent jobs, apply. I think that is the beauty of it. You have full control. If you don't like the particular player, he's not under contract, you just stop calling him up.

"If somebody upstairs doesn't like it, they're not gonna say anything. It's all down to you. So, I think he will absolutely relish that power that comes with being the one person, and the only person, that matters when it comes to the squad."

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