SM
Oman vs. Qatar: 12 hrs 25 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Thomas Tuchel reveals he wanted to sign Bruno Fernandes at PSG

:Headline: Thomas Tuchel reveals he wanted to sign Bruno Fernandes at PSG: ID:437114: from db_amp
The German has called the Manchester United player one of the best midfielders in the world.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has labelled Bruno Fernandes one of the best midfielders in the world and confirmed he wanted former club Paris St Germain to rival Manchester United for his signature.

The Portuguese playmaker has scored 22 goals for the Red Devils this season to continue his remarkable start to life at Old Trafford.

In the space of 12 months, Fernandes has become a key player for United and could have a big say on the outcome of Sunday's Premier League match at Chelsea.

Bruno Fernandes has made a stunning impact at Manchester United (Martin Rickett/PA)

However, Tuchel has revealed Fernandes could have been plying his trade in Paris after ex-PSG sporting director Antero Henrique tried to sign him from Sporting Lisbon.

The German said: "During my first year in Paris, not sure if it was the first transfer period or second or third, I am not sure. It was just when we arrived in the summer.

"I got aware of him more in detail because of my sporting director that knew him very well, so we watched more and more games about him and followed him and tried to be in touch with him to make it happen.

"Obviously he decided and I was never personally in touch with him but we tried and he went another way. Bad for us that we have to play against him."

Tuchel took over at Parc des Princes in the summer of 2018 and only worked with Henrique for a year before the Portuguese sporting director left.

During their solitary season together, the 47-year-old admitted his admiration for Fernandes grew the more footage they watched and has already faced him twice this campaign ahead of this weekend's fixture.

Those encounters occurred with PSG in the Champions League group stage before Tuchel was dismissed by the Ligue 1 club in December and replaced Frank Lampard at Chelsea a month later.

"With my first sporting director in Paris, Antero Henrique, he knew (Fernandes) very well and we fought hard to have a connection to him and to bring him to our team," Tuchel explained.

Thomas Tuchel wanted Bruno Fernandes at Paris St Germain (John Walton/PA)

"He was a big personality for Sporting and an effective goalscorer and an effective guy to make the other players around more dangerous. The impact he has had since he arrived at Manchester United is indescribable and unbelievable.

"To come from Portugal, from a competitive team, a big club but not from the strongest league and step in a year to one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League and the strongest league in Europe and to have this kind of impact, I have nothing but the biggest respect for this guy. It is outstanding.

"He is one of the best midfielders in the world, attacking midfielders, and he has a huge, huge impact and to have this as a single person in football, you must be absolutely top level because this is almost impossible."

A month into his one-and-a-half year deal at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel joked he was happy for people to judge him after six wins and two draws from his opening eight games.

"We could feel that even from the outside that after difficult results that this is a guy that they trust.

"Of course, you wish for it but you also have to earn it when you do a good job and have the results and create an atmosphere that the club wants and needs to grow and develop.

"That mix of everything earns the trust and if you don't do it you lose the trust so I will assume that this is not a gift for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. I assume that he works for that and creates this on a daily basis and so he earns it.

"This is what we all want and not a gift from no one else. You have to work hard to get the trust."

amp_article__437114 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2021-02-27 22:39:01:
html db last update - 2021-02-27 22:39:01 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Thomas Tuchel

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .