Man Utd managerial target OUT of race to replace Ten Hag

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 14 Apr 2024 13:16 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United managerial target Thiago Motta is out of the race to replace Erik ten Hag.

Bologna coach Motta has emerged as one of the main men on United’s shortlist to succeed Ten Hag.

However, according to multiple sources in Italy, Motta is increasingly likely to be appointed as Juventus’ new manager for 2024-25.

READ MORE: Man Utd to offload FIVE big-name stars in summer shakeup

Max Allegri is likely to leave the club after a third disastrous season back in Turin, and talks are now advancing for Motta to succeed him.

Motta has performed heroics at Bologna this season, leading them to the brink of a historic qualification to the Champions League.

The former Italy midfielder has developed a host of quality players, including Riccardo Calafiori (who could join Motta at Juve) and Joshua Zirkzee, who is also liked by Man Utd.

READ MORE: Latest Man Utd transfer news

United will now focus on other managerial names, with Gareth Southgate the favourite ahead of the likes of Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi.

Ten Hag to be sacked?

Ten Hag is likely to be sacked by new Man Utd part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the end of the season.

Ten Hag joined Man Utd in the summer of 2022 and enjoyed a decent first season as he took the club back into the Champions League, won the League Cup and reached the FA Cup final.

However, the 2023-24 campaign has been a total disaster for Ten Hag. United have lost 12 of their 32 Premier League games and have a negative goal difference.

They need a miracle to finish in the Champions League places, as they are 10 points behind fourth and fifth position with six games to go.

United went out of the League Cup early but worst of all were humiliated in the Champions League group stages.

Despite being drawn in one of the weaker groups together with Galatasaray and Copenhagen, they finished bottom of the pool as the Danes and Bayern Munich progressed.

United picked up just four points and conceded 15 goals, the most ever by an English team in the groups in the history of the tournament.