Thomas Tuchel's Bayern decision may have spared Arsenal and Liverpool from extra misery

Arsenal and Liverpool could reap the rewards of Thomas Tuchel’s decision to leave Bayern Munich when it comes to next season’s Premier League title race. It was announced earlier this year that Tuchel would be leaving Bayern at the end of the season after overseeing their first trophyless campaign in over a decade.

It was recently reported that Bayern had gone back on their word by trying to convince Tuchel to stay after they were rejected by four different managerial candidates. However, the former Chelsea boss cleared things up on Friday by explaining that talks had fallen through and that he will definitely be leaving in the summer.

“This is my last press conference as FC Bayern manager,” said Tuchel. “There were talks, but we didn’t reach an agreement so the decision of February still stands.”

It remains to be seen if Tuchel’s impending departure will benefit Arsenal and Liverpool by making it harder for Manchester City to land one of their summer targets. Pep Guardiola is said to be keen on reuniting with Joshua Kimmich, who he managed during his time in charge of Bayern.

Kimmich is about to enter the final year of his contract and is of ‘serious interest’ to City ahead of the summer window, according to HITC. However, the news that Tuchel will definitely be leaving Bayern could tempt Kimmich into extending his stay at the club to work under a new manager.

The experienced Germany international is said to have a strained relationship with Tuchel after falling out with him earlier in the season. The pair were reportedly involved in a tunnel spat, which saw Kimmich held back by several of his team-mates, after losing to Bochum in February.

The report adds that Tuchel remaining at Bayern would have increased the likelihood of a move away for Kimmich, with City waiting in the wings to snap him up. However, it seems that Tuchel’s decision to reject a new deal could heighten the chances of Kimmich staying at the Allienz Arena.

This would certainly be a blow for City, who could benefit from having a player of Kimmich’s calibre in their squad for next season. His versatility and wealth of experience would make him an excellent signing, but the news of Tuchel’s exit could make a deal significantly harder to negotiate.

Arsenal and Liverpool will be hoping for City to fail in their pursuit of Kimmich in order to boost their hopes of winning next season’s Premier League title. Only time will tell if the 29-year-old decides to stay at Bayern, though, with plenty of time left for him to make a decision on where his future lies.