Thomas Tuchel 'singles out THREE Bayern Munich stars for criticism' as they fail to hit his high standards in pre-season training

Thomas Tuchel singled out three of Bayern Munich's star players for criticism during the team's punishing pre-season preparations, according to reports in Germany.

The head coach, who joined the Bundesliga champions in April just a month and a half before the end of the season, has been vocal about who was up to his exacting standards during the very first session at the camp in Tegernsee, in the Bavarian Alps.

Bayern won a record-extending league title under the former Chelsea manager, but by some measures fell short of the club's extremely high standards after the Champions League and the German Cup in a slightly chaotic end to the season.

With last season disrupted by the sacking of former coach Julian Nagelsmann and the late arrival of Tuchel, the 49-year-old is keen to see his side start their 2023-24 on the right foot.

This includes being vigilant to ensure small mistakes don't creep into their practice sessions, as per Bild, with Tuchel hurling critique at his players wherever he saw fit.

Tuchel is said to have drawn attention to Anglo-German wonderkid Jamal Musiala losing the ball whilst dribbling, and admonished teen prospect Paul Wanner for 'sleeping' after the 17-year-old lost the ball three times in the 31-degree heat.

The German manager also wasted no time telling Josip Stanisic that he was 'making too many technical mistakes' after he lost a duel in a small competitive match.

As well as finessing his current batch of players ahead of the start of the new season, Tuchel is assessing the players he will have available to him, from both an incoming and outgoing perspective.

In the press conference at the start of the pre-season training camp, Tuchel was honest about a number of players that the club may be looking to move on during the summer window.

Leon Goretzka is thought to be up for sale this summer, and the £34million-rated midfielder has caught the eye of Manchester United.

When queried about Goretzka, Tuchel stated he 'wouldn't confirm that any player (would still be at the club on September 1)'.

'Leon had, that's no secret, an unsatisfactory end to the last season,' Tuchel added. 'Because of his status, his contract, and his age, he's someone we expect a lot from: that he takes responsibility, and supports the team.

'There's always room for improvement.'

Tuchel alluded to Paris Saint-Germain's swoop for highly-rated defender Lucas Hernandez - who signed for the Ligue 1 champions for £34m at the start of the month - continuing: 'Situations like Lucas Hernandez's can always arise when players have other plans.

'I didn't hear theat from Leon, but it's just the beginning of the preparation (for next season).'

Tuchel was also drawn on the subject of Sadio Mane, whose move from Liverpool last summer has been little short of diastrous.

The talented striker has struggled to find form in Bavaria, scoring just seven goals in 25 apperances, and had a turbulent time off the scenes.

Mane was believed to have had a public falling-out with Nagelsmann shortly before he was sacked from the club, and punched his team-mate Leroy Sane in teh lip following Bayern's Champions League defeat against Manchester City.

Whilst Tuchel was once keen to get Mane back to his best following his appointment at the Allianz, he was more forthright about the possibility of the Senegal international finding a new challenge elsewhere.

'Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry are also in the position where I see (Mane) the strongest,' Tuchel told reporters. 'We have a formation that makes it very difficult for Sadio.

'The player knows that too, we're very open and honest about it.'

Mane is believed to be of interest to Cristiano Ronaldo's side Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, however, the club were recently banned from registering new players after failing to play add-ons as part of a transfer deal with Leicester.

Bayern's number one transfer priority this summer has been the club's pursuit of Harry Kane, who they hope they can tempt away from Tottenham with the promise of competing for major trophies.

Tuchel had previously refused to be drawn on the England captain, saying instead: 'I will not comment on players who are not under contract with us.

'If we are convinced a player would help us, then we go all in.'

The club are hopeful that neither Tottenham nor Kane are put off by comments made by their honorary president Uli Hoeness who claimed that the player 'clearly' wanted to join the side.

Chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and technical director Marco Neppe met Levy in London for breakfast last Thursday to establish a good contact and build a rapport.

Dreesen was not happy when that meeting became public and others believe Hoeness's bold comments will only make Levy more stubborn.

The Bayern CEO later stressed added: 'It's no secret that we're very interested in (Kane).

'Everything Uli said is correct, but it's best for us to stick with what the coach said. The grass doesn't grow faster when you pull it.

'In the last few years we've had a lot of transfers that happened in the last few days of the window. Sometimes patience pays off. The most important thing is that the players, we really want, want to join us. It doesn't matter how long it takes.'