Tuchel ‘demands’ Man Utd make statement January signing of Barcelona ace before replacing Ten Hag

A second report has claimed Thomas Tuchel has asked Manchester United to commit to a blockbuster January raid on Barcelona before he’ll agree to replace Erik ten Hag.

Man Utd officials met on Tuesday to determine whether to stick or twist on their current manager. As the old saying goes, no news is good news and for the time being at least, Ten Hag remains in situ.

However, it is TEAMtalk’s understanding that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants rid of Ten Hag. Furthermore, we can confirm Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter – both currently out of work – are United’s top two candidates to take the reins.

A recent report from the Spanish press claimed Tuchel, 51, has earmarked Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo as his ideal first signing. It was even claimed Tuchel has already been in contact with the Uruguayan defender to express his appreciation of his talents and desire to sign him.

Now, a second report from Spain, this time from Fichajes, has added further fuel to the fire. They state Tuchel has ‘demanded’ Man Utd sign Araujo and the German manager is said to want that deal made in the January transfer window.

Araujo’s arrival was labelled a ‘key condition’ that Man Utd must agree to before Tuchel takes charge.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are reported to be receptive to cashing in on the 25-year-old if Man Utd put €80m (£67m / $87.7m) on the table.

Tuchel’s Araujo appreciation dates back to Bayern Munich days

Tuchel’s appreciation of Araujo should not come as a surprise given the defender was a long-time target of Bayern Munich during Tuchel’s time in Bavaria.

Ahead of the 2024 January window, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano wrote: “Ronald Araújo position has not changed — focus on Barcelona as club will offer him new deal soon, it’s one of the priorities.

“Clear message from player’s camp as Araujo is very happy at Barca — despite Bayern’s strong interest and Tuchel pushing.”

However, fast forward to the present day and Araujo and Barcelona are seemingly no closer to agreeing a new and improved contract.

That could be one factor that opens the door for Man Utd, though a transfer would still be incredibly difficult to make given the costs involved. Araujo is contracted to Barcelona until 2026.

Man Utd target Chelsea outcast / Pogba on the move

In other news, TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Rudy Galetti, has revealed out-of-favour Chelsea left-back is a concrete Man Utd target for January.

The Blues will look to offload Chilwell at the earliest possible opportunity having failed to find a suitable exit solution last summer. Chelsea’s desperation to cash in could mean a bargain deal is there to be had.

Elsewhere, former Man Utd midfielder Paul Pogba is reportedly in ‘advanced discussions’ over signing with Marseille.

Pogba recently saw his four-year suspension for failing a doping test cut to 18 months. Pogba and Juventus are currently working on terminating the Frenchman’s contract and a move to Marseille where he’d link up with Mason Greenwood is on the agenda.

Finally, Calciomercato state AC Milan, Juventus and Roma are all keeping tabs on Joshua Zirkzee ahead of the January window.

The Dutch striker only joined Man Utd over the summer, though has endured a slow start to life at Old Trafford. If a managerial change is made and the new face takes a dim view of Zirkzee, Serie A’s heavyweights could offer Man Utd a quick way out.

How Araujo compared to De Ligt last season