Man Utd: Sir Jim Ratcliffe chooses his replacement for Ten Hag

Carlo Garganese

Updated: 10 Sep 2024 01:04 CDT
4 min read

Man Utd part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is struggling in his attempts to convince Zinedine Zidane to succeed Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager.

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According to the Daily Mirror, Ratcliffe dreams of luring Zidane to Old Trafford and sees him as the perfect candidate to replace the struggling Ten Hag.

Zidane has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in 2021 and has still not been able to achieve his dream of coaching the France national team with Didier Deschamps remaining in charge.

Ratcliffe has attempted to persuade Zidane to make Man Utd his next job but the France, Real Madrid and Juventus legend is not sold.

“Would I want to go to Manchester [United]? I understand English, but I’m not completely fluent in it,” Zidane told L’Equipe.

“I know that there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work in a different way.

“Many elements come into play in order to win, it is a global context. I know what I need to win.”

© IMAGO - Zidane is not interested in Man Utd

Ten Hag is under heavy pressure after another terrible start to the new season, with United taking just three points from their first three Premier League games, and being thrashed 3-0 at home by rivals Liverpool.

Britain’s bookmakers expect Ten Hag to be sacked sooner rather than later, with the Manchester United boss the red-hot favourite to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked.

All of Britain’s bookmakers have Ten Hag as the favourite to be the next coach to get the chop in England, with his odds plummeting after the heavy 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Ten Hag had been expected to be sacked this summer after a generally miserable 2023-24 campaign in which - despite winning the FA Cup - Man Utd finished eighth in the Premier League and were dumped out of Europe at the Champions League group stage.

United held an internal review on Ten Hag’s future and even spoke to a number of potential managerial replacements, but in a shock development decided that the Dutchman would be staying at Old Trafford.

© IMAGO - Erik ten Hag had been expected to be sacked

Ten Hag to be sacked?

That decision appears to only be a short stay of execution as the bookmakers believe that Ten Hag’s days are numbered.

A number of top names are waiting in the wings to replace Ten Hag, including former England manager Gareth Southgate and ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel. Zidane, it seems though, is not a realistic option.