Thomas Tuchel is poised to be announced as the new manager of the England national football team, according to reports by The Times on Tuesday.
The 51-year-old German coach, who has been without a club since departing Bayern Munich at the end of last season, is set to succeed Gareth Southgate, who resigned after leading the Three Lions to the Euro 2024 final.
If confirmed, Tuchel will become only the third foreign manager in England’s history, following in the footsteps of Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
Sky Sports has also reported that Tuchel is the frontrunner for the position, with the Football Association (FA) declining to comment on the ongoing negotiations.
FA CEO Mark Bullingham is expected to provide an update on the situation on Wednesday at Wembley Stadium.
Tuchel meets the FA’s criteria for a “world-class coach who has won trophies,” as highlighted by interim manager Lee Carsley after England’s 3-1 Nations League victory over Finland.
The German has an impressive managerial résumé, having led top European clubs such as Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain. However, his standout achievement came during his tenure at Chelsea, where he guided the Blues to Champions League victory in 2021, along with the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.
His time at Chelsea ended in September 2022, following a decision by the club’s new ownership group. Just six months later, he took over at Bayern Munich, where he secured an 11th consecutive Bundesliga title, although he faced criticism for a trophyless season in 2023—the first such occurrence for the club in 12 years.
Carsley has been at the helm temporarily since Southgate’s resignation, but his candidacy for the permanent role has been questioned following a mixed performance, including a 2-1 defeat to Greece last week.
He has expressed support for the idea of hiring a foreign coach, stating, “The best candidate should get the job… I think we’d be putting ourselves in a corner if we didn’t open our minds a bit.”
Should Tuchel take charge, he will inherit a talented squad featuring stars like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Cole Palmer, positioning England as strong contenders for the 2026 World Cup.
Despite recent successes under Southgate—who led the team to back-to-back Euro finals and a World Cup semi-final—England has not claimed a major tournament title since the 1966 World Cup.