Manchester United have denied a rumour that Thomas Tuchel had a 'verbal agreement' to take over from Erik ten Hag before his appointment as England manager.
The FA today confirmed the arrival of the 51-year-old, who will take over from interim boss Lee Carsley on January 1.
Tuchel had, prior to being named as England's new manager, been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford.
It's well-known that he talked with Sir Jim Ratcliffe about potentially taking charge back in the summer, only for the fallen giants to stick with Erik ten Hag instead.
Manchester United have denied a rumour that Thomas Tuchel had a 'verbal agreement' to take over from Erik ten Hag before his appointment as England manager
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With Ten Hag overseeing a disastrous start to the new season, links to Tuchel had started to pick up pace.
But the FA have now moved to bring in the former Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss instead.
According to the Manchester Evening News, one source went as far as saying that Tuchel had verbally agreed to replace Ten Hag in the event of his potential sacking.
Yet this is something the club have reportedly denied.
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United are set to stick with Ten Hag, despite a poor season so far that has seen them pick up just eight points from their first seven Premier League matches.
If they do end up relieving him of his duties, however, then they'll need to look at alternatives.
The report says England went for Tuchel after learning that Pep Guardiola was reluctant to leave Manchester City mid-season.
The Spaniard, who has ruled the roost at the Etihad Stadium ever since 2016, is currently in the last year of his contract - with his current deal due to expire in 2025.
Another boss England considered was Graham Potter.
However, the FA opted to pass on the former Chelsea and Brighton boss. They also thought there was no clear English candidate, which is why they've gone down the foreign route.
Tuchel is the third manager from overseas to take charge of England, with the German following in the footsteps of Sven Goran-Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
Eriksson took charge of the team in 2001 and left in 2006, with Capello's era lasting between 2007 and 2012.
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Manchester United decided to keep faith with Erik ten Hag instead of replacing him with Thomas Tuchel back in the summer
PATuchel, meanwhile, has admitted he's looking forward to his new challenge as he looks to steer England to World Cup glory in 2026.
“I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team," he said.
"I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already.
"To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.
Manchester United have played down speculation linking Thomas Tuchel with a move to Old Trafford after he was confirmed as England boss
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“Working closely with Anthony [Barry] as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud.
"I want to thank the FA, in particular Mark [Bullingham] and John [McDermott], for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
