Tuchel hungry for more amid contract talks

PORTO • If Manchester City thought next season's Premier League season was going to be a repeat of the last two campaigns, fending off Liverpool and/or Manchester United again, then Saturday's Champions League final defeat by Chelsea will surely have made them think again.

The Reds should be a bigger threat with a fully fit squad including captain Virgil van Dijk and some highly-rated new faces, like the incoming Ibrahima Konate, while the Red Devils are also expected to invest in key upgrades.

But the Thomas Tuchel factor also makes Chelsea a genuine contender. In just four months, the German manager has transformed Chelsea from a team struggling to qualify for the top four to fourth in the league, before making them European champions.

City boss Pep Guardiola will need no reminding that Tuchel has rapidly become a specialist in beating his team.

Saturday's final was the third time that he has gotten one over the Catalan, following victories in the FA Cup semi-final and at the Etihad in the league. Unlike those previous triumphs, Saturday's victory was against City's "A" team.

Tuchel, a known football obsessive, is already beginning to focus on the challenge ahead of next term.

"Now is the time to celebrate for some days, to enjoy, to let it sink in. Of course, this is the time to reflect on it for one or two weeks but then surprisingly, it does not (do) a lot to you," he said.

"That is good because nobody wants to rest, I don't want to rest. I want the next process, the same level of quality and consistency and I demand to be a part of it. The level is now set from when the celebrations are over and when we have digested this experience, it is the moment to evolve and to use it, become better to learn. It is absolutely crucial.

"We have young players, now it is a big challenge to stay hungry and go for the next one."

The youthful talent in the Chelsea side, Saturday's scorer Kai Havertz, 21; Mason Mount, 22; Christian Pulisic, 22; and Reece James, 21, are only going to get better playing alongside experienced pros like N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Cesar Azpilicueta.

The Blues' second European Cup after their maiden success in 2012 also gives Tuchel a strong hand when he sits down with Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich to discuss not just the summer transfer plans but also his new contract.

According to British media, he is close to signing a new contract, with the club set to offer him a bumper extension until 2023 with an option of a further year.

Signalling his next aim would be a league title tilt - Chelsea last won the top flight in 2016-17 - Tuchel said: "I am looking forward to this. I can assure him (Abramovich) that I will stay hungry. That I want the next title.

"That I feel absolutely happy as a part of a really ambitious club, a strong group that suits my beliefs, my passion about football in the moment perfectly, so my desire is to go for more victories."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS