REPORT: Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel makes decision over Aston Villa job.

Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has decided he does not hold any interest in taking over at Aston Villa amid claims he could be in contention to replace Steven Gerrard. The Champions League-winning tactician has been out of work since September when he was ruthlessly axed by Todd Boehly following a 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia just days after the transfer window closed. Tuchel is said to have already turned down Bayer Leverkusen while he patiently awaits the chance to return to management following a short lay-off.

Aston Villa may need to re-think their managerial search with top target Thomas Tuchel uninterested in replacing Steven Gerrard, according to reports. The west Midlands club have endured a very poor start to the Premier League season, losing six of their 11 matches and sitting just three points above bottom-placed Nottingham Forest – out of the relegation zone only on goals scored. Gerrard finally paid the price on Thursday night, relived of his duties after suffering a humiliating 3-0 defeat away to newly promoted Fulham.

Tuchel has been out of work since the start of September after being fired by Chelsea, though that has done little to damage his reputation given that he won the Champions League a little over a year ago. But, according to The Telegraph, Tuchel will reject any approach from Villa and is not interested in taking the job. The German is open to entering management straight away despite the stresses of his 18-month stay at Stamford Bridge and his departure from SW6 hasn’t put off potential suitors. Tuchel was replaced by Graham Potter in the hot seat after a poor start to the season and a breakdown in relationships with the new co-owners. Clubs across Europe and two Premier League sides have already reportedly been turned down by the 49-year-old, but the upcoming winter World Cup break offers a new chance for clubs to make managerial changes that could open up Tuchel’s options.

The 49-year-old was sacked by the west London club over a month ago now and has been an ever-present name linked with new managerial vacancies within the Premier League. Tuchel has previously taken breaks between jobs, with a year separating his move from Mainz to Borussia Dortmund as well as between the latter and taking charge at Paris Saint-Germain, but he waited for little over a month after leaving the French capital before arriving at Chelsea. He is unsurprisingly in high demand due to his availability and superb coaching record, having also guided Paris Saint-Germain to their only-ever Champions League final a season prior to winning the competition with Chelsea.