Manchester United officials have reportedly identified their preferred candidate to replace Erik ten Hag if he is dismissed following the disappointing 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
On Sunday, Ten Hag faced one of the lowest points of his managerial career as his team lost convincingly to Spurs at Old Trafford.
In the aftermath of this poor performance, speculation arose regarding the Dutchman’s future, with potential replacements such as Gareth Southgate and Ruud van Nistelrooy being mentioned.
If the United board opts to part ways with Ten Hag, sources indicate they have already determined who they would target for the managerial position. Before the season began, the new owners, INEOS, met with various prominent managers while considering a change after the team finished eighth in the Premier League last season, marking their worst position since the league’s inception in 1992.
Among the candidates was Thomas Tuchel, the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager. A July report from The Daily Mail stated that Tuchel was the leading candidate if Ten Hag were to be let go.
Although Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team initially chose to retain Ten Hag, they were reportedly impressed by Tuchel’s proposed strategy for revitalizing United.
However, Tuchel had expressed a desire for a temporary break from football after his challenging tenure at Bayern, which seemed to eliminate him from consideration at that time.
Nearly three months later, though, the situation may have shifted, and United is likely to revisit Tuchel if they decide to part ways with Ten Hag after the loss to Spurs.
Despite the ongoing speculation, Ten Hag appears unconcerned about his job security, stating in a media interview that he and the club’s leadership are united in their commitment. “No, I am not thinking about this. We all made this decision to stay together this summer,” he said, emphasizing the collective approach of ownership, management, and players.
