Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand spoke with Thomas Tuchel before Bayern Munich’s defeat to Real Madrid amid rumours the German could take charge at Old Trafford next season
Thomas Tuchel has been linked with Manchester United and club legend Rio Ferdinand caught up with him ahead of Bayern Munich’s Champions League semi-final defeat against Real Madrid.
Tuchel is set to leave Bayern at the end of the season and he is among the contenders to potentially replace Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford following a disappointing second season in charge.
Ferdinand was at the Bernabeu working as a pundit for TNT Sports as Bayern lost 4-3 to Real on aggregate and he greeted Tuchel before kick-off, with the pair sharing an embrace and a few words.
When asked about their interaction, Ferdinand explained: “I just said good luck to him, he’s so relaxed, he’s such a calm character, you’d never know it’s a semi-final and one of his last opportunities to win a trophy.”
Fellow TNT Sports pundit Steve McManaman then asked: “And what about the Manchester United job?” Ferdinand then jokingly responded: “That was the final part of the talk, where are you going?”
The former Red Devils star went on to state that he believes will get some “big offers” this summer after he leaves Bayern given his impressive pedigree. “I think he’s still got enough in the tank,” Ferdinand added.
“No matter what happens today, he’ll still have some big offers. But listen, if he manages to get to the final and get his hand on the trophy just behind you there, I think the world’s his oyster again. He can say what he wants and do what he wants.”
Ahead of the match, Tuchel was quizzed about his future and admitted he would love to return to the Premier League, having previously spent 17 months in charge of Chelsea where he notably won the 2021 Champions League.
“I’d rather not answer but it is no secret that I loved it at Chelsea, I loved it in England,” he said. “I loved it in the Premier League for sure, it was a very, very special time and I remember it very well.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
