Man Utd make Premier League manager surprise choice as Ten Hag replacement

Jacque Talbot

• 14 May 2024 13:45 BST
• 3 min read

Thomas Frank is a strong contender for the Manchester United job amid the uncertainty over the future of Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils have not made their mind up about whether to sack the Dutchman at the end of the season, but The Telegraph reports that Brentford’s coach is among one of the top candidates for the role should he lead.

The Dane has admirers at Old Trafford from his work at Brentford over the last six years, with It’s thought that Frank has a good relationship with co-owners Ineos and as well as Sir Dave Brailsford, director of sport at the firm.

The 50-year-old took the Bees into the Premier League three seasons ago and even earned a ninth-place finish despite their relative lack of finances.

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Man Utd are looking for a head coach to focus solely on the team and tactics, while sporting director-elect Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox, will overlook other departments such as transfers.

Frank signed a new contract last season with Brentford, running until 2027, and it’s not clear whether he would be open to a switch to the Premier League giants.

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It confirms FootballTransfers’ story from March which revealed that Frank is the No.1 choice for Man Utd.

Sources informed us that the club are not overly keen on England boss Gareth Southgate and would rather the Brentford manager.

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While the Three Lions boss is admired by Sir Dave Brailsford, who is Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s right-hand man, he is far from a unanimous choice among the Red Devils’ new hierarchy and is likely to be passed over as a serious candidate for the role.

Man Utd would ideally like Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who Brailsford is a huge fan of, but the Italian is seen as an unrealistic target.