"I enjoy the journey, and I enjoy the club. At the moment, this is a good fit. The company on the journey is so, so good. I'm grateful to have such support around me and to feel so good in such a competitive club."
Those were the words Thomas Tuchel used after receiving the FIFA Best men's coach award for 2021. Tuchel has repeatedly reaffirmed his comfort in the Chelsea bubble, even with the turbulence faced so far, most reflected in the seismic change of ownership.
It seems that comfort should become greater after reports have emerged that Todd Boehly is willing to hand more control over to the German regarding Chelsea's transfer plans this summer.
READ MORE: Todd Boehly handed simple £24m transfer decision to begin Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea rebuild
As reported by The Telegraph, Tuchel will be given control over transfers to shape the Blues squad in his image, moving the club's model close to that of rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.
To many supporters who have wanted to see Tuchel backed, investing in the squad to reflect his style of play and beliefs will be met with positivity. And given the need for a rebuild, and for that rebuild to be focused on shrewd recruitment, there is some logic to handing Tuchel more influence.
However, there are some potential drawbacks. The first is that this feels like quite an old-school approach without a sporting director in place where the manager is given the final say over deals. Although you would still expect director Marina Granovskaia to be at the forefront of negotiations, this harks back to the days of Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson personally handling crucial talks.
You would still expect conversations between Boehly, Granovskaia, and Petr Cech, with the latter pair being referenced as a reason for Tuchel's comfort in the current structure. How long that will remain in place is hard to predict.
There also is a drawback of buying players for one coach, particularly at a club that has grown a reputation of dispensing with head coaches pretty frequently. Although all of Tuchel's predecessors had frustrations in the transfer window, they also did get some of their preferred additions. And whilst that benefitted their approach, it has proven problematic once they have left.
Purchasing limited, or more kindly, specialist players who are suited to one style or formation but are rendered problematic should a new coach decide to change things. Jorginho and Marcos Alonso both feel relevant here, two players who were bought with one coach's principles in mind but have shown flaws when asked to play more expansively or in different positions.
Tuchel will quite naturally prioritise his tenure as being successful, focusing on what he needs now rather than what will be relevant in five years' time.
The sale of Tammy Abraham due to Tuchel's own preference might, in reflection, look like an unpleasant but amicable exit should Chelsea go on to build a successful side with Tuchel. But should he be gone within 12 months, then these types of swift cuts of promising young talent could hurt the club in the long term.
Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp got time after rocky starts and were able to continue their own rebuilds through success. If Boehly is willing to hand Tuchel control, then you have to be willing to commit more patience to this project.
If not, then you run the risk of continuing the squad issues we have seen in recent years of a pretty confused concoction of players bought for different styles that cannot form an elite Premier League outfit over 38 games.
The positive comes from Tuchel having a good idea of what this current Chelsea team lacks and focusing on that. There is also hope with control over who the club aims to recruit that, he has influence over who they should offload – a forgotten component of this summer that must be navigated smartly.
For instance, like gaining the power to dispense Romelu Lukaku, a player who hasn't fit into his plans and is viewed negatively by sections of supporters as the noise of his intent to return to Inter gets louder.
Tuchel has stressed the need for a rebuild. Hopefully, with his influence and the right investment, he will see that come to fruition in the coming weeks. However, with that power comes great responsibility and increased scrutiny from the start of next season.
