Thomas Tuchel believes players can fulfil “any dream” they have at Chelsea and says Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger will not be able to find an upgrade on the Blues should they decide to leave when their contracts expire in the summer. Tuchel accepts that there are a number of factors that can lead to a player deciding to leave Chelsea, but he insists they will not find a better club to represent in Europe.
Thomas Tuchel said: “There are several [kinds of] step up. You can have a step up financially, you can have a step up in perspective of having more minutes or the statutes of the other team. So there are many, many step-ups. In general, from my experience here and where I’ve come from, there cannot be a bigger improvement at any other club in terms of organisation, the support for the players, the mentality, the competition in which you play. I don’t see an upgrade in any other club. Of course, if you want to have the challenge of a new league, if you want to have the challenge of all this and maybe also in money, there are for sure possibilities always available if you’re a top, top player. But you can fulfil any dream here at this club and I do not think we should not hide from that. We should not be too humble in that. I think we can fight for any player and we have good, good reasons to provide that players stay.”
Thomas Tuchel added: “It’s very important the club draws a line at some point, to not be totally in the hands of whoever asks for whatever. [We should] make it clear what they have, and not only the first team dressing room which is fancy to be in. It’s the opposite. It is a very down-to-earth environment here but it’s at the highest level. It is functional, a club you want to be at and bring your very best as a coach or as a player. From my perspective, that is something you cannot balance with money. This feeling, this structure, this competitive environment, with the quality of life in this city where we have the quality of education and so on. it is such a huge level that the club provides here. I don’t see the point where money can compensate. But of course, if it’s a big difference then maybe someone else has another opinion.”
Throughout this season, Rudiger’s stance has been clear as to what it will take for Chelsea to keep him at Stamford Bridge – namely, a significant pay rise. Christensen’s situation is more complicated. Twice the Blues have felt an agreement has been reached only for the defender to not sign and then the terms to have been altered. It’s led to an impasse, one that increasingly looks unlikely to be resolved. And that will mean Christensen departs and in all likelihood for Barcelona. Tuchel is adamant he will not take that to heart. But he does believe the 25-year-old is passing up a huge opportunity to prove himself one of Europe’s finest defenders at Chelsea.
Thomas Tuchel said: “I don’t want to point a finger at any player and say what they are doing is unacceptable. It is a contractual situation. At some point, a player will come and say they want to leave, but I say, ‘No you can’t leave as you have a contract’. So everybody is respectful of the contract situation. Now if he leaves, he leaves for free. No club in the world likes that. But if you say he owes us, that would make it personal and for me, it can not affect us personally. This is a contractual situation and he has the right to do so. I think in this particular case, there is no need to go because he is right at the edge of taking the next one, two, three, steps at Chelsea. I don’t think he is done here. That is why I strongly recommended to him not to go before it is done [at the club]. And it is clearly not done as he has now a situation with the formation [that suits him], the partners at his side, his status, and his age. This is the moment. I can not understand if he leaves at exactly this moment. But like I said, it is not my decision and I would not be personally affected by it. He stays my player and that is it. We are talking about sports and sometimes you need to swallow a defeat.”
