Debunking narratives (Part III): Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel has no pull

Every top five league in Europe—we can even expand this into countries such as Belgium, The Netherlands, Portugal and Scotland too—has a contingent of top clubs. These, for lack of a better term, dynasties, rule football in their respective top flights and across the entire continent. England has more than any other league with its so-called big six, but that doesn’t mean that other clubs don’t pose threats or put up fights. After all, the world’s two biggest clubs (Barcelona and Real Madrid) are stationed in Spain . . . sorry Manchester United. These battles are intense on the pitch, they’re even more tense off the grass though. This goes without saying considering the fact that all of the big clubs in Europe are scrapping for a limited number of elite players.

This is a concept that all Chelsea fans are far too familiar with by now. It seems as if every player the Blues have been linked with this summer has also wound up on the Catalan giants’ wishlist, as well. This has led to some contention between the two sides as they grapple for some of the most sought after players on the market. Barcelona beat Chelsea in the race for Raphinha after Xavi convinced the Brazilian to join his dream club. This has led some supporters on social media to take a dig at Thomas Tuchel and claim that the manager has no pull—an absurd belief.

Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel has pull, regardless of what social media claims

It must first be said that there are a lot more factors to consider in a transfer besides pull. Every transfer has its quirks, but usually transfer fees between clubs, wages, locale, club stature and other factors come into play over a manager’s pull. In the case of Raphinha specifically, not only were the Blaugrana his favorite club growing up, but he’d also been in agreement with them on personal terms since the turn of the year. The former Leeds United winger joining Barcelona over Chelsea had nothing to do with Tuchel’s power to influence prospects.

Let’s put all of that aside though and assume that transfers were all about managerial pull. Even if this is the case, Tuchel has a history of luring the big names to clubs he manages. That list includes the likes of Kylian Mbappe (no big deal, right?), Mauro Icardi, Ousmane Dembele, Mario Gotze, Keylor Navas and many others. That’s not even taking into account the signings he’s made during his short time at Chelsea either.

While the German manager’s first summer window in charge of the Blues may have been underwhelming in the transfer department, it’s hard to overstate the role he played in bringing Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge. The two have a strenuous relationship in the present day, but that doesn’t mean the master tactician didn’t sell the reigning Champions League winners to the Belgian striker. Lukaku left a place he very clearly—to a fault, even—adored in order to join forces with Tuchel and the rest of the Chelsea team. Furthermore, Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly both left their long-term homes this summer and made the trek to London. Both stars agreed to join the Blues after speaking with Tuchel about his plans for the future. No pull, eh?

In the grand scheme of things, “pull” is incredibly overrated. That’s not to say it isn’t real though. Managerial pull is a factor that allows fans to shift the blame when their club doesn’t pursue a player or the individual decides to join another team over those supporters’ favorite one. Realistically speaking, every manager involved in transfer dealings has some sort of influence on the players’ decisions. As with in everything in life though, some managers are simply better at selling their ideas to people than others. It’d be ignorant to believe that Pep Guardiola and Tony Pulis have the same pull, but that’s not to say Pulis can’t sweet talk his way into a purchase.

When all is said and done, Tuchel does a great job bringing in class players to play for his teams. Supporters are beginning to see his recruiting skills this summer as he’s already helped Chelsea add two certified stars to its ranks. There is more to come for the Blues, and Tuchel’s role in those transfer dealings cannot be overshadowed.

What’re your thoughts on the matter? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!