Man Utd miss out top Ten Hag replacement

Suraj Radia

16 May 2024 10:00 BST
3 min read

Erik ten Hag, Manchester United — © IMAGO

Manchester United could be hit with a blow if they sack Erik ten Hag this summer, with the club set to miss out on one of their top candidates to become their new manager.

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Ten Hag’s future has been in doubt after a disappointing season for United, in which the club have seen a humiliating exit in the Champions League and a failure to finish in the top four despite a strong summer of spending.

The new regime at Old Trafford, fronted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will not make a decision on Ten Hag’s future until after the FA Cup final, with the club said to be ‘50/50’ over whether a change of manager is needed.

United are still understood to have a shortlist of candidates to replace Ten Hag, with Thomas Tuchel thought to be one of the leading options, but the German now looks set to perform a u-turn and commit to Bayern Munich.

Tuchel had announced in February that he would be stepping down at the end of the season but Bayern’s struggles to name a successor has led to the Bundesliga giants holding talks to keep their current manager at the helm.

And Sky Sport Germany reporter Florian Plettenburg has now revealed Tuchel is set to stay at the Allianz Arena, although a final decision has not been made, with Ten Hag and Brighton’s Roberto de Zerbi still being considered.

© IMAGO - Thomas Tuchel was thought to be one of the top candidates to replace Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

Tuchel one of five candidates to succeed Ten Hag

United could still qualify for Europe on the last day of the season after their win over Newcastle, while the club will also face off against rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final for the second year running.

But even success in the cup may not be enough to save Ten Hag’s job, with Gareth Southgate, Thomas Frank, Kieran McKenna and Graham Potter said to join Tuchel on United’s list of potential replacements.

Ten Hag’s future could also have implications on Bayern, who have considered the United boss as a potential replacement for Tuchel, although it would likely depend on the Dutchman becoming a free agent.

Bayern have seen the likes of Xabi Alonso and Ralf Rangnick already turn down the manager’s job, leading to the decision to engage in talks with Tuchel to remain.