England manager Thomas Tuchel has responded to speculation linking his assistant coach Anthony Barry with the Crystal Palace job.

Barry, 40, is reportedly among the frontrunners to succeed current Eagles boss Pierre Sage if the struggling Selhurst Park outfit decide to relieve the Frenchman of his duties.

Sage replaced Oliver Glasner in June, but his Crystal Palace side currently sit inside the Premier League relegation zone after losing six of their opening nine games and conceding a division-high 21 goals.

Should the Eagles lose at home to Liverpool on Sunday, the club’s hierarchy may have a big decision to make over whether to stick with under-pressure Sage or bring in a fresh face to turn the club’s fortunes around.

While Tuchel - who announced his latest England squad on Friday - is hopeful that Barry will remain his number two, he is not surprised to see the “highest-level coach” linked with Premier League clubs.

Crystal Palace-linked Barry "very important" to Tuchel and England

“He’s very important to me,” the German told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I mean, that’s why I did everything I could to convince him to join my staff once we met in Chelsea and join me on my way to Bayern Munich and then in the national team.

“It’s a privilege for me to have him by my side. He’s challenging me, he’s helping me, he makes me better.

“He’s just a fantastic person and the highest-level coach, so I am not surprised that there are rumours around him. I’m not surprised if there were like possibilities for him.”

Barry’s contract with the Football Association runs until the end of the European Championship in 2028 when England will co-host the tournament.

“My understanding, my wish is, of course, that we stay together until minimum until the Euros,” Tuchel added.

“For me, we are by far not finished, and he will always have a place in my in my coaching staff, also after the Euros.

Tuchel admits Crystal Palace-linked Barry "has to follow his own path"

“But, listen, he has to follow also his own path. At the moment, I think that we are an excellent team, and I think that he feels that he’s in a good place where he wants to be.

“As soon as this changes, I think I will be the first to know. At the moment, I don’t know nothing, so I’m pretty confident that he’s in a good place, but I’m not surprised that he has offers.”

Although Barry has never been a senior first-team manager before, he has a wealth of experience as an assistant coach, predominantly working under Tuchel at Chelsea, Bayern Munich and now England.

The Liverpudlian began his coaching career at Accrington Stanley and Wigan Athletic, while he also gained international experience with the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal, working under Roberto Martinez with the latter two nations.

As well as Barry, Sean Dyche, Thomas Frank, Vitor Pereira and Rob Edwards have been linked with the Crystal Palace job amid uncertainty over Sage’s long-term future.