Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag faces an uncertain future as Sir Jim Ratcliffe weighs up his options ahead of next season. The new co-owner at Old Trafford is already making his presence felt.
This campaign has been disappointing for the Reds after a promising first year under Ten Hag. Early exits in the Champions League and Carabao Cup followed by poor performances in the Premier League show worrying signs.
MEN Sport understands Ratcliffe is not completely sold on keeping Ten Hag beyond this season and all eyes are focused on how he does in the FA Cup and Premier League between now and May. Winning the domestic cup competition and finishing in the top four could be enough to save his job.
READ MORE: Ten Hag facing uncertain future at United
READ MORE: What De Zerbi has said about his Brighton future
However, should Ratcliffe choose to switch managers, MEN Sport has taken a look at four managers who could realistically replace Ten Hag.
Roberto De Zerbi
MEN Sport understands De Zerbi is one of the managers of interest to the INEOS regime. His work since joining Brighton and Hove Albion has been impressive and has also caught the attention of Manchester City who could be on the lookout for a Pep Guardiola replacement soon.
The Italian is in no rush to leave the South Coast but he must be wondering about life outside of Brighton considering he was linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool last month. If the green light was given, De Zerbi would be a solid appointment by Ratcliffe.
Get United transfer updates on WhatsApp!
It’s the January transfer window once again, but despite United’s indifferent start to the season, it remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to bring any new players to Old Trafford this month. While the emphasis this January is on outgoings, with several players set to be sold or loaned out, there remains a possibility of a loan signing or two before February arrives.
Our team of experts are on top of all the goings-on at Old Trafford for the remainder of the window and beyond, and you can get the latest updates and inside information to your phone by joining our new free WhatsApp community. You can also join the 50,000 (and growing!) band of United fans who are following our WhatsApp Channel.
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Graham Potter
The man who De Zerbi replaced at the AMEX, Potter, is currently the bookmakers’ favourite to be the next United manager. It is believed Sir Dave Brailsford pushed hard in the summer for Nice to appoint the Englishman but the French club chose to look elsewhere.
Potter would be available for free but is considered a big risk due to how his time at Chelsea ended. Some felt he wasn’t given long enough to implement his vision at Stamford Bridge but it is likely he would have a lot of work to do to win over the fanbase.
Thomas Tuchel
Football management is just one big merry-go-round, isn’t it? Potter replaced Tuchel at Chelsea after the German’s relationship with owner Todd Boehly became untenable.
In his first job back, Tuchel has struggled at Bayern Munich and will be leaving the Bavarian club at the end of the season. The pressure at Bayern is similar to United however considering the last few years, Tuchel would be given more time at Old Trafford.
Like Potter though, Tuchel is tainted goods considering what has happened in Munich so perhaps not an ideal choice.
Ruben Amorim
The wildcard option breaks with the merry-go-round above. Sporting boss Amorim has enjoyed a promising start to his managerial career with the Lisbon club and Braga before that.
The 39-year-old has been linked with a host of clubs in the Premier League previously, including United, and it seems sooner rather than later he will make the leap.
He is already 6/1 with some bookmakers and is highly regarded around Europe.
Get United transfer updates on WhatsApp!
It’s the January transfer window once again, but despite United’s indifferent start to the season, it remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to bring any new players to Old Trafford this month. While the emphasis this January is on outgoings, with several players set to be sold or loaned out, there remains a possibility of a loan signing or two before February arrives.
Our team of experts are on top of all the goings-on at Old Trafford for the remainder of the window and beyond, and you can get the latest updates and inside information to your phone by joining our new free WhatsApp community. You can also join the 50,000 (and growing!) band of United fans who are following our WhatsApp Channel.
Sign up to our community here, and join our WhatsApp channel here.
—
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
