Earlier this evening, eight senior players who were vital to Manchester United’s success departed Old Trafford in response to the club’s failure to fire Eric Ten Hag
Gareth Southgate ‘identified as an outsider’ who might replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
Gareth Southgate is reportedly one of the possibilities being explored by Man United if they break ways with Erik ten Hag this summer.
Bookmark: Gareth Southgate, England’s manager
England’s manager Gareth Southgate (Image: PA.)
Gareth Southgate, England manager, is apparently being evaluated as a potential replacement to Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, should the Dutchman depart the club this summer.
Ten Hag, 54, is in his second season at Old Trafford, but he has faced severe scrutiny in recent months, with United having already endured 11 Premier League defeats and being knocked out of both the Champions League and the League Cup before Christmas. The Reds presently rank sixth in the Premier League table, 11 points behind the top four.
As a result, reports in recent weeks have suggested that he may have a fight to keep his position at the end of the season, after the club’s new minority stakeholder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, took control of football operations. According to the Manchester Evening News, Ineos has looked into potential candidates for Ten Hag if they decide to change managers in the coming months, with Brighton coach Roberto de Zerbi being a possible candidate.
Paul Scholes stated earlier this week that he believes Ten Hag’s future has already been determined by Ratcliffe’s Ineos, with United currently “a million miles away from a team that should be challenging for the league”. According to ESPN, Southgate has been identified as one “outsider” who may be pulled into Old Trafford if Ten Hag is fired at the conclusion of the season, and the former Crystal Palace and Aston Villa defender is ready to quit his eight-year relationship with the Three Lions after Euro 2024.
According to reports, the 53-year-old former Middlesbrough player has a “long-standing” relationship with Dan Ashworth, the former FA’s director of Elite Development who is being considered by United as their new sporting director.
Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are highlighted in the report as being studied by United officials, with the West Londoners’ data-driven approach earning “admirers” at Old Trafford.
However, the source states that the combined expense of paying out Ten Hag and hiring a new manager may “prove too high for United,” but “with doubt surrounding many areas of the club right now, efforts are being made to plan for every eventuality.”
If Ten Hag were to quit Old Trafford, ESPN reports that his reputation “remains high in Europe,” and the former Ajax manager is already getting interest from Germany. United are in an unprecedented situation if they decide to change managers this summer, with no clear and obvious candidate ready to take over.
