Man Utd Suffer Blow in Pursuit of Long-Time Managerial Target

The Red Devils are unlikely to be alone in their search for a new manager this summer.

Man Utd’s search for a new manager continues. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Manchester United’s hopes of hiring Thomas Tuchel as their next manager have been ended by his decision to sign a new contract with England which, according to Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham, was not impacted by the Red Devils’ long-time interest.

Tuchel was initially tied to England until the end of the World Cup this summer but inked a new two-year extension on Thursday, ending United’s hope of reigniting a pursuit which involved two rounds of talks with the German tactician in 2024.

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Man Utd’s History With Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel has previously rejected approaches from Man Utd. | Michael Regan/The FA/Getty Images

When Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS arrived at Old Trafford in early 2024, they quickly wanted to make their presence felt.

The future of then-manager Erik ten Hag was brought into question as club officials held an infamous end-of-season review of the Dutchman’s position, which included talks with a vast number of potential replacements to determine whether Ten Hag should be sacked.

Tuchel was among those to speak with United, but reports suggest he was unimpressed with the structure of an Old Trafford hierarchy which was still finding its feet.

United came calling just a few months later when their decision to retain Ten Hag on a new contract blew up in their faces. The stars seemed to be aligning before Tuchel signed on to become the England manager instead.

Given Tuchel’s previous contract was due to expire in the summer, it seemed likely that United would once again attempt to speak with the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager, but that door has now been firmly closed.

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Bullingham: New Contract Nothing to Do With Man Utd

Tuchel is enjoying life in international management. | Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty Images

According to ESPN, England officials feared losing Tuchel after the World Cup, when a number of elite clubs could join United in searching for a new manager, and acted quickly to seal his long-term commitment.

However, Bullingham was quick to insist otherwise when asked whether United’s interest in Tuchel prompted their decision to hand out a new contract.

“The conversation evolved very naturally after we qualified,” the FA boss countered. “From our point of view, it’s just a really natural evolution. We felt like he was really enjoying the job.

“He’s really enjoyed going to work in international football. The time it allows you between each game to plan, I think he’s really enjoyed that, and just bought into the challenge of that.”

Bullingham added: “When you look at anyone in any business on a fixed-term contract, clearly when you get to the end of that fixed-term contract, they will already be considering their future.

“From our point of view, we felt like we had a world-class coach doing a really good job for us and we wanted him to carry on.”

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