The England manager could take over after the World Cup, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Football Association approached him with a contract extension before this summer’s finals.
Manager Thomas Tuchel’s current contract with the Football Association expires after the World Cup (Image: Getty Images)
Barring trade secrets being revealed, the next questions asked by media members to Thomas Tuchel are unlikely to be about England. The same could be said about Manchester United.
Tuchel is currently the fourth candidate to be United’s manager for the first game of the 2026/27 season, after Michael Carrick, Oliver Glasner and Sir Gareth Southgate. The odds of Tuchel playing at Old Trafford next season look very attractive at 10-1.
Because in the cold light of day, he’s an outstanding candidate. Naturally, I’m not alone in believing that if Carrick can improve his form and secure a place in next season’s Champions League, he could challenge that wall in the long term.
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And I’m not alone in believing Carrick can have very decent long-term success. He is a respected figure and could be a great coach for elite players.
But Tuchel’s credentials at the highest level of club football are first class. He won three domestic league titles, one Champions League, two domestic cups and one Club World Cup.
He was named UEFA Coach of the Year and FIFA Football Coach of the Year. Carrick was unable to promote Middlesbrough from the Championship.
And for now, Tuchel will be available at the end of July and no compensation will be required. However, Ruben Amorim’s departure and United’s current situation will be the subject of much debate among the Football Association’s powers that be.
Michael Carrick has been appointed as Manchester United’s head coach until the end of the season (Image: Manchester United, Getty Images)
They really shouldn’t do that – think back to Fabio Capello and his improved contract ahead of the disastrous 2010 World Cup – but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, at least in private, the FA made it clear they wanted Tuchel to stay at his home Euros in 2028.
Qualifying was always going to be routine, but Tuchel has attracted a lot of attention from the FA and it is certain that they want him to lead England to the Euros. At the last international meeting, Tuchel said he was happy with the short-term arrangement, with the World Cup as his only and final goal, and that the arrangement was based on his wishes.
Winning games without conceding would help, but Tuchel seems increasingly obsessed with life as England manager. There’s a sparkle in his eyes.
Ruben Amorim lasted just 14 months in charge at Old Trafford (Image: Getty Images)
Would he want two more years? There must be a possibility. Which is sure to be on the agenda when Manchester United’s executive committee meets.
If they want Tuchel to be their next manager, they should act now. Rather than making a plan in the middle of summer whose main purpose is to see how the land is doing, it would show the German that they meant business and that they really wanted him.
It is certainly not unheard of for a national team manager to agree to a club contract before a major tournament. Indeed, it is not without precedent in United’s recent history.
Louis van Gaal, who led the Netherlands and took charge of Manchester United in the 2014 World Cup (Image: Action Images)
In May 2014, Louis van Gaal was confirmed as the club’s next manager, ahead of the Dutchman leading his country to the World Cup in Brazil. Van Gaal then led the Netherlands to a penalty shoot-out victory over Argentina in the semi-finals and a victory over Brazil in the third-place match.
But rest assured that the FA won’t be happy if United approach Tuchel in the run-up to the final. But that’s not something United should worry about.
They may not like managers who haven’t been in a particular job very long, but they may be willing to expect Carrick to make a good case for himself. But if they want Tuchel, and they are a serious operation, they need to take action sooner rather than later.
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