Tuchel in advanced talks to become England’s manager

The English Football Association is in advanced talks with Thomas Tuchel over appointing him as the next England manager, and it is understood that a deal could be put in place quickly, reports theguardian.com.

The organisation said that it has had Tuchel on its shortlist to find Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor since the beginning of the process, a list that also included Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and the interim manager, Lee Carsley, among others.

It has zeroed in on Tuchel, who led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 – the highlight on an impressive CV – and there is an expectation that he can be persuaded to take on the challenge. Tuchel has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich in May. The FA declined to comment on a process that it has always described as confidential.

The German stands to become the third foreigner to manage the England men’s team after Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

The FA’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, who is leading the recruitment process alongside the technical director, John McDermott, has long been clear that nationality should be no barrier to the role.

Bullingham made the point that during the European Championship in June that the England women head coach, Sarina Wiegman, is Dutch. In other words, the FA was and is perfectly happy to put its trust in someone from outside England.

There is no doubt that Tuchel is an Anglophile. He speaks excellent English – a prerequisite for the FA in terms of an overseas candidate – and he embraced his 18 months or so at Chelsea, becoming a cult hero to the fans.

Tuchel’s skills as an orator and a leader came to the fore when he spoke out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite Chelsea being owned at the time by a