Thomas Tuchel hinted at the prospect of extending his tenure as Bayern Munich head coach on Friday, stating that while he had agreed to depart the club at the season’s end, “anything is conceivable.”
Bayern confirmed in February that the 50-year-old would be stepping down from his position at the conclusion of the season.
Despite a challenging domestic campaign that sees them trailing Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen by 12 points, their impressive Champions League run, culminating in a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the semi-final first leg on Tuesday, has sparked discussions about Tuchel’s potential continuation as manager.
Addressing the speculation about his future, Tuchel remarked during a press conference: “This is a contractual agreement, so it appears unalterable.”
“Well, you can change every contract on mutual consent because we had a contract as well and we agreed on ending it early so everything is possible. But the answer is the same, the agreement stands and the agreement exists.”
A source close to ESPN has revealed that should Tuchel follow through with his planned departure from Bayern this summer, he harbors a preference for a return to the Premier League. He would be receptive to discussions with Manchester United in the event of a managerial vacancy.
Current United manager Erik ten Hag faces mounting pressure at Old Trafford following a disappointing second season, exacerbated by the arrival of new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Meanwhile, Bayern has encountered challenges in securing Tuchel’s successor. Ralf Rangnick recently announced his decision to remain in his role as head coach of the Austria national team, declining the opportunity to manage Bayern.
Leverkusen manager and former Bayern midfielder Xabi Alonso, previously linked to the managerial position, has declared his commitment to staying at his current club.
Furthermore, Julian Nagelsmann, Tuchel’s predecessor at Bayern, has rejected a return to the club and opted to extend his tenure as Germany head coach beyond the upcoming European Championship.
Amidst these developments, Bayern is set to face Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday before their pivotal Champions League semifinal second leg clash against Madrid on Wednesday.