England’s stars caught up in the summer transfer fray will not be prevented from securing moves during World Cup duty, with the likes of Elliott Anderson hinting at a possible move.
Thomas Tuchel is happy to see players doing transfer business (Image: Getty Images)
Manager Thomas Tuchel insists he will not prevent the England international from completing a transfer deal while on World Cup duty.
Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is at the center of a huge tug-of-war between Manchester City and Manchester United.
Morgan Rodgers is also a transfer target, with Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester United keen on the Aston Villa forward, with John Stones a free agent. Transfer talks are certain to take place, but Tuchel said he would not prevent them from taking place unless it was on match day.
England manager Tuchel said: “Common sense should say at -1 we don’t want that on game day. That’s the policy. And everything else, if it’s done quietly, if it’s done behind closed doors and if it’s done efficiently, we’re always happy to work with the players to make things clear.”
“I think the best thing we can have is clarity. If someone has the chance to change clubs and complete a transfer, we will not stand in the way, but of course it has to match our schedule and our aim to concentrate and prepare for the game.”
“Definitely on the last day of the match, but not two days before the match. We’ll see. We’re thinking on a case-by-case basis. So far, no player has approached me. The doctors are ready to give me medical care if necessary. Before the World Cup, he Ideally, their future would be settled, but that may not be the case in real life. So the question is, how much should you worry? Even if you could say, “I’m not dealing with it right now,” the phone would still blow up.
“How can we control that? Quite the opposite. I’m always there to help, to calm things down. We should do more to help them have their own environment where they can deal with distractions, where they can immerse themselves, where they can focus, and where they can do their best to fulfill the role that we give them.”
“Of course, the distraction is that the club is fighting for you, they want to sign you, the sporting director, the agent, the coach is trying to call you. “Of course it’s a distraction, but it’s also a reality.
Elliott Anderson has been linked with a move from Nottingham Forest to Man City (Image: Getty)
Sign up now for the Make Football Great Again newsletter and get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox!
“We always recommend making a decision as early as possible before the tournament starts and then sticking to that decision, but that’s not always possible for players. I don’t think we’re alone in this. This is how this problem works.”
Tuchel revealed he was “not very happy” about England being used in FIFA’s instructions to referees ahead of the World Cup. FIFA’s head of referees, Pierliusi Colina, cited Adam Wharton’s block in a corner kick in England’s friendly against Uruguay in March, allowing Ben White to score, as an example of behavior that should be prohibited.
The referee has now issued a final red for a grappling in the penalty box, and Tuchel fears this could lead to England being left out.
Tuchel added: “I wasn’t too happy because it was one point and because it was an accidental goal (used as an example). There are a lot of changes to the rules and I think it will be next week, but I’m happy to have another meeting. We’ve already had one meeting, but I don’t know if I understood everything correctly.”
“It was quite a bit and I’m a bit worried that there’s still a lot of things that are left to the subjective judgment of referees. I’m worried that referees will have to make more decisions on the pitch, but I don’t know if all of that can be made more clear. I understand the urge to make it more clear. I don’t know if a rule change right before the tournament will facilitate that, but we’ll see.”
Umpires want to clamp down on certain aspects, pointing to England as an example (Image: Getty Images)
“Of course we play by the rules. We know that in the Premier League the corners and set-pieces are more physical than in other countries, but that’s normal. In the Europa League or the Champions League, the referees are a little different and we adapt to that.”
“Was the rule you mentioned was to block the ball before it goes into play? Let’s see. That’s our strength and of course we try to make the most of it. Why wouldn’t we? It’s just a way to do it. Every team tries to do that.”
“I hope that we can find a way to referee that is consistent. I think that’s what everyone wants. Just consistency, but it’s difficult enough with everyone with the new rules. I hope there will be more clarity, but that’s not always the case when it’s implemented this quickly, but I’m happy to have a meeting next week. We’ll figure it out.”
meanwhile. Tuchel also said he would like to express a “huge thank you” to the fans who made the trip despite the high price tag. He added: “I really appreciate it. I really appreciate it. I know ticket prices are very high. So if someone is making an effort, I know someone who is making an effort and I’ve been trying to help people get tickets.”
“But I would like to say a huge thank you, because having fans in the stadium who give their all makes a difference. But I also understand that if it’s too much, they should be cheering us on at home in their pubs or whatever, because it’s important and we feel it too.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with Sky Glass ‘designed for soccer’
From £4.50
sky
Get the deal here
Sky is marking the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 20% discount on its entire range of glass TVs. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to a Sky smart TV ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 a month when taken with a Sky TV and Netflix package.
