Man Utd have ‘ideal opportunity’ to deliver Chelsea even more bad news

Jamie Carragher has suggested Manchester United should make Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel their ‘number one target’.

The former England defender believes United have the ‘ideal opportunity’ to lure Tuchel to Old Trafford after the Blues had sanctions placed on them by the UK Government.

Chelsea’s boss won the FIFA Coach of the Year award last season after guiding the club to Champions League glory, just four months after taking over from Frank Lampard.

Carragher has emphasised that Tuchel, if offered the role with the Red Devils, ‘must’ take it, with United able to offer him ‘job security’.

“Manchester United have been presented with the ideal opportunity to recruit the manager who should be their number one target: Thomas Tuchel,” Carragher wrote in his Telegraph column.

“Given the events at Chelsea, United’s decision to wait until the end of the season presents them with a choice no-one could have foreseen. One of the best managers in the world – the current FIFA coach of the year – must be top of their list.

“Tuchel, like everyone else at Stamford Bridge, will have no idea what the future holds at his current club. No-one can offer him any assurances about how the squad will look at the start of next season given the club’s sale is on hold.

“No manager wants to be working amid such a background of uncertainty. If he gets the chance to leave for a club of United’s stature, he must take it.

“United can offer him the security and backing every top coach craves. Yes, it will seem a predatory move – taking advantage of Chelsea’s crisis – but from United and Tuchel’s perspective the more you consider it, the more of a no-brainer it is.”

Under the new sanctions, the Blues won’t be able to sign new players, if Roman Abramovich remains the club’s owner during the summer transfer window, while contract renewals for existing members of their squad is also prohibited.

Chelsea are now likely to lose Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta for free this summer with the trio’s deals all expiring in the summer.