A Chelsea coach has been told to stay away from the club's training ground as talks over his future continue.
Anthony Barry, 36, played for the likes of Accrington Stanley, Yeovil Town, Chester City and Wrexham in the lower leagues before transitioning into a coach.
He started off with Wigan Athletic and spent three years there before joining Chelsea in 2020. Barry has also worked an assistant for both the Republic of Ireland and Belgium national teams - recently following Roberto Martinez to Portugal.
The former midfielder's abilities as a coach are highly-rated, with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel desperate to poach him from his ex employers after taking the reins at Bayern Munich.
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"My coaching staff wasn’t prepared either, so a big thank you to their families for their flexibility," he said at his official unveiling.
"Arno Michels and Zsolt Low, who have been working with me for over ten years, will be there. We’re hoping to add Anthony Barry, who is currently at Chelsea."
According to Matt Law from The Telegraph, Barry is keen to link up with Tuchel for a second time over in Bavaria.
A compensation offer has been made but he still has a contract at Stamford Bridge for the time-being and Chelsea have asked Barry to stay away while negotiations continue.
He has been away with Portugal as Martinez won his first two games in charge but will not be working alongside Graham Potter at Cobham until the situation is resolved.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are said to be disappointed that Tuchel went so public about his interest in adding Barry to his backroom staff.
In the event that a compensation package is agreed and Barry is released from his deal join Bayern, Chelsea are believed to have a list of replacements ready - as per Sky Sports.
Barry and Tuchel helped Chelsea win a second Champions League in 2021, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final in Porto.
Topics: Chelsea, Premier League, Thomas Tuchel, Bayern Munich, Graham Potter
Josh Lawless