Could Tuchel join Man U next term?

LONDON • Thomas Tuchel has confirmed he will stay at Chelsea "until the end of the season", but the Blues boss will not commit his future to the troubled club beyond that point.

Russia's attack on Ukraine has resulted in sanctions being imposed on owner Roman Abramovich over his alleged links with Russian President Vladimir Putin and are designed to punish the country's oligarchs for financing or enabling the conflict.

But Chelsea have been plunged into turmoil by the punitive measures, which have left them unable to sign players, renew contracts or sell match tickets, with their revenue streams severely restricted as a result.

Amid fears that Chelsea could struggle to survive unless a new owner is found soon, there have been reports that Tuchel would be tempted to leave.

Britain's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has eased the terms of the club's "licence" to do business, meaning their £28 million (S$50 million) monthly wage bill should be covered for the final three months of the campaign.

The new terms will allow Chelsea to use payments due from broadcasting companies and any prize money earned to meet their expenses.

The authorities are also ready to increase the current cap of £20,000 on away travel expenses should the Blues progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League tomorrow.

They lead Lille 2-0 ahead of their trip to France.

However, until a new owner is in place, Chelsea's future will remain uncertain and Manchester United have already been alerted to the possible availability of Tuchel in the summer.

The Red Devils have yet to decide on a successor to interim boss Ralf Rangnick and fellow German Tuchel, who has won the Champions League and Club World Cup since arriving in January last year, would be a major coup should he decide to leave Stamford Bridge.

For now, Tuchel will stay on but his reply left some room for manoeuvre. "There's no doubt I stay until the end of the season. We just have to wait day by day because everything can change," he said.

"There are circumstances we can't influence but that gives us the freedom to focus on the things we can influence."

It would be a massive blow if Tuchel leaves, but given the clouds over Chelsea and Abramovich at the moment, pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is not surprised the links have emerged.

Abramovich was yesterday sanctioned by Australia, along with 32 other oligarchs and influential Russian businessmen for having "facilitated or directly benefited from the Kremlin's illegal and indefensible actions in Ukraine since 2014".

Top European Union diplomats have also reportedly agreed to add the 55-year-old to the EU sanctions list this week, two diplomatic sources said yesterday.

Abramovich's private plane landed in Israel yesterday but it will have to depart within 24 hours after the authorities imposed new rules, with Britain among other allied countries seeking to impound luxury vehicles and aircraft belonging to oligarchs.

His 140m super-yacht Solaris was spotted arriving at the Porto Montenegro marina in Montenegro on Sunday, having left Barcelona last week before sanctions were announced.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS