Thomas Tuchel 'open' to Chelsea return despite Todd Boehly rift

Thomas Tuchel would be open to a return to Chelsea as he eyes a move back to the Premier League, several reports in Germany have revealed.

Tuchel was a hugely popular figure at Chelsea during his 18 months in charge, famously leading the club to Champions League glory, before the arrivals of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali at Stamford Bridge led to his departure in September 2022.

Disagreements over his involvement in transfers were reportedly behind his dismissal but, despite clashes with those in charge at the time, Tuchel is understood to be willing to rebuild bridges and return to Chelsea.

As first reported by BILD and later backed up by Sky Sports Germany, Tuchel has never ruled out a return to Chelsea and he would be prepared to listen if the Blues' owners reached out about a reunion.

Tuchel, who will leave Bayern Munich this summer, is prioritising a return to the Premier League and is open to taking charge at Manchester United if Sir Jim Ratcliffe chooses to part ways with Erik ten Hag.

Blues co-owner Boehly is said to recognise that Chelsea were in a significantly stronger position with Tuchel at the helm than they have been since his exit. Tuchel's replacement, Graham Potter, managed just seven months in charge and current boss Mauricio Pochettino is also under pressure.

There is no guarantee that Chelsea will move for Tuchel, who is exploring all the options available to him this summer.

Barcelona are keen on Tuchel, although there are conflicting reports about his willingness to make the move at this stage in his career.

Tuchel is not interested in moving into international management, ruling out a switch to the German national team after Julian Nagelsmann's contract expires this summer.

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