Bayern Munich have granted new manager Thomas Tuchel's request to bring a key asset with him to the Allianz Arena. The German club have made an official request to Chelsea for the services of coach Anthony Barry, and are 'confident' of finalising the move.
The former Blues manager worked with Barry during his time at Stamford Bridge, and made no secret of wanting to add him to his newly-formed backroom staff at Bayern. Tuchel's public desire to bring the highly-regarded coach, after replacing Julian Nagelsmann in the dugout last Friday, reportedly annoyed his former employers.
Now, Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany is reporting that Bayern are "working on his transfer now". While Chelsea are in "no hurry to let him go", "all parties are confident that his move to Bayern will happen".
READ MORE: Julian Nagelsmann Chelsea plan revealed as Todd Boehly plot affects Tottenham manager search
In just a few years, having initially joined during Frank Lampard's Blues tenure, Barry has made a big mark on Chelsea. Before Todd Boehly placed his faith in Brighton boss Graham Potter, it was reported he was keen on placing the 36-year-old in temporary charge, after he was said to be the 'brains' behind much of Chelsea's success in recent times, including the 2021 Champions League title.
Barry was also believed to be responsible for transforming the Blues into one of the Premier League's leading set-piece specialists, and had been previously linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge before this seemingly inevitable departure. Tuchel's admiration for Barry is evidenced by the former Blues boss having done everything to fend off interest from Cardiff City, Aberdeen and Tranmere Rovers, who were all vying for his services in a managerial capacity, according to the Times.
In January last year, the German wrote in a pre-match Chelsea programme : "It is important for us that we have many different players performing and we have many different goalscorers this season. I said after the Malmo game last week that it is a good sign when Andreas starts to score - and I think our set-piece coach, Anthony Barry, can be very, very proud.
"It is important to be able to score in situations like this, and it is good that we have several different people who can score." Alongside his Chelsea duties, Barry has also been one of Roberto Martínez’s coaches with the Portugal national team.
The Liverpudlian has also supported the Belgium and Republic of Ireland national sides during his relatively brief coaching stint. Barry retired from playing in 2017, in a career spanning just over a decade as he took to the pitch for many of England's lower league outfits, including Accrington Stanley, Yeovil Town and Fleetwood Town.
READ NEXT:
Graham Potter sacked, Champions League winners: Pundits predict Chelsea end of season outcome
Ten Chelsea stars could be sold as Todd Boehly can earn £182m transfer windfall to upgrade squad
Todd Boehly can use Chelsea secret weapon to beat Man City and sign £50m-rated Southampton star
Thomas Tuchel could raid Chelsea for three transfers after Bayern Munich announcement
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge
