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Thomas Tuchel plots Bayern Munich raid on Chelsea to leave Graham Potter deeper in the mire

Thomas Tuchel Bayern Munich 2023 TEAMtalk1

Thomas Tuchel looks set to unsettle Chelsea with news that the new Bayern Munich manager wants to recruit a key member of Graham Potter’s backroom staff.

Tuchel, 49, is now in the Allianz Arena hotseat after the shock departure of Julian Nagelsmann. The Bavarians sit just one point behind table-topping Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga table. And there is every chance that they could overhaul their great rivals in the remaining nine games.

They are also still in the Champions League and face Manchester City over two legs for a place in the semi-finals.

However, recent performances have not been up to the expected standards and Nagelsmann has paid the price.

The 36-year-old may not be out of work for too long. He has been linked with the Tottenham manager’s job, with Antonio Conte seemingly on borrowed time in north London.

And, according to Football Insider, the German has even been mentioned in connection with managing Chelsea.

Tuchel is the man charged with the task of guiding Bayern through the rest of the campaign and beyond.

He was sacked as Chelsea boss back in September last year following a breakdown of his relationship with the board.

The German had secured the Champions League during his first campaign in west London.

And Bayern were quick to recruit the former Borussia Dortmund man once they had opted for a change at the helm.

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He had little time to assemble a coaching team. And it seems as though Tuchel wants a reunion with Chelsea’s assistant coach.

“My coaching staff wasn’t prepared either, so a big thank you to their families for their flexibility,” he told reporters.

“Arno Michels and Zsolt Low, who have been working with me for over 10 years, will be there. We’re hoping to add Anthony Barry, who is currently at Chelsea.”

Key coach departure set to impact Chelsea

Barry enjoyed a 12-year playing career among the lower leagues of English football. As a midfielder, he had stints at the likes of Accrington Stanley, Yeovil Town, Fleetwood Town and Wrexham.

However, his ascent up the coaching ladder has been swift and dramatic. After three years as assistant at Wigan Athletic, he joined Chelsea in the summer of 2020.

The 36-year-old then dipped his toe into the international game, acting as assistant to Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny.

Still working at Stamford Bridge, he then swapped Ireland for Belgium to work with Roberto Martinez.

And the Liverpudlian has now followed Martinez to work as an assistant coach with the Portugal national side.

He is clearly highly thought of and it is no surprise that Tuchel wants him on board at Bayern. Whether or not they get him depends on Chelsea’s stance.

Tuchel to disrupt Chelsea run-in

It is unclear whether Tuchel will attempt to lure Barry to Germany before the season ends.

If he does, it will heap further pressure on Graham Potter who has struggled to get results since arriving at the Bridge.

There are sections of the media who feel he will be sacked during the off-season whatever happens between now and the end of May.

But a solid end to 2022-2023 would certainly boost his chances of remaining in the post.

The capital outfit currently sit tenth in the Premier League, with little chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

However, they are still in this season’s event and face Real Madrid over two legs in the quarter-finals.

Losing a key coach now would certainly be a huge blow to Potter salvaging something from what has been a testing campaign.

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