Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola are among the candidates the Football Association (FA) has considered to become England's next coach, sources have told ESPN.

Tuchel, who previously coached Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, has been out of work since May and sources have told ESPN that the German coach would be interested in the England role.

Guardiola's contract with Manchester City expires at the end of the season and he is an interesting candidate as the FA is open to appointing a foreign coach and the 53-year-old has previously expressed his desire to play at international level.

However, sources have told ESPN that no formal approach has been made and it is currently unclear whether Guardiola would be interested in taking on the role.

Sources added that City expect to hear Guardiola's decision by the end of January at the latest, with his next move potentially depending on the outcome of the club's trial against the Premier League, in which he faces 115 charges of breaching financial rules.

Should Guardiola extend his contract with City by a year, extending his stay at the club to ten years, he would have to work without his long-time colleague Txiki Begiristain, who will leave his role as City's football director at the end of the season and be replaced by Hugo Viana replaced.

As well as working alongside Guardiola at Barcelona, ​​Begiristain has also presided over a period of unprecedented success at the Etihad, including seven Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023. However, sources have told ESPN that City are hoping that Begiristain's departure will not affect Guardiola's decision about his own future.

Next month's international break is seen as a key period during which Guardiola will consider his future, a moment that coincides with the planned end of Lee Carsley's tenure as interim England coach.

Carsley was appointed on an interim basis in August after Gareth Southgate decided to end his eight-year reign after losing the Euro 2024 final to Spain.

He has repeatedly dodged questions about whether he was interested in the role on a permanent basis, claiming his “remit” to the FA's technical director John McDermott was to take charge of England's six autumn games between September and November.

England beat the Republic of Ireland and Finland in September before losing to Greece and beating Finland again this month.

Carsley's final games are against Greece and then the Republic of Ireland at Wembley Stadium, with England fighting for top spot in Group 2 of the UEFA Nations League B.

Carsley stepped down from his role as England under-21 coach and would return there if the FA seeks another candidate to succeed Southgate.

Sources told ESPN that while there was speculation about whether the FA was waiting for Carsley to prove himself in the role, the organization was actually actively talking to other potential candidates.

The job description, published in July, said the successful candidate would need “significant experience in English football” and “a strong track record of achieving results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions”.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was also linked with the role before agreeing a new position with Red Bull. Possible English candidates include Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and ex-Chelsea manager Graham Potter, although neither has won a major trophy.

England reached two consecutive European Championship finals under Southgate and is aiming for its first trophy in 60 years at the 2026 World Cup.