Manchester United 'draw up four-man shortlist of Erik ten Hag replacements'

By Carter White | 22 March 2024

Man Utd 'draw up four-man shortlist of Erik ten Hag replacements'

Manchester United are reportedly considering Thomas Tuchel, Ruben Amorim, Roberto De Zerbi and Zinedine Zidane as potential replacements for Erik ten Hag this summer.

Manchester United have reportedly drawn up a four-man shortlist of Erik ten Hag replacements ahead of potential change in management at Old Trafford.

The 54-year-old recently reached 100 matches in charge of the Red Devils since joining from Dutch giants Ajax before the beginning of the 2022-23 term.

Ten Hag enjoyed a productive first season on the red side of Manchester, helping the club back into the Champions League and to an EFL Cup final success over Newcastle United at Wembley.

However, the Dutchman has struggled to guide his side to similar heights so far this term, with United currently in sixth, nine points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.

According to The Mirror, Manchester United have compiled a list of four managers who could potentially take the job of Ten Hag ahead of the 2024-25 season.

England manager Gareth Southgate before the match on November 17, 2023 © Reuters

The report claims that the Red Devils had initially earmarked Gareth Southgate as their first choice to take the reins at Old Trafford next campaign.

Following a minority takeover of the club, INEOS billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now in charge of footballing operations at Man United, and will decide Ten Hag's future.

With Southgate's current as Three Lions boss running until the end of the calendar year, the Red Devils are supposedly being forced to consider alternatives.

One of United's secondary options is former Chelsea man Thomas Tuchel, who is leaving his role as Bayern Munich boss at the end of the current season.

The Bavarian giants are 10 points behind surprise leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga standings, with Tuchel's side looking set to lose possession of the German crown for the first time since 2012.

Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel reacts on February 14, 2024 © Reuters

Another coach capturing the interest of Man United is Portuguese Ruben Amorim, who is leading Sporting Lisbon in a Primeira Liga title race versus fierce rivals Benfica.

Guiding Brighton & Hove Albion onto the continental stage for the first time this season, Roberto De Zerbi is also a potential candidate for the Old Trafford job.

Also linked to the soon-to-be-vacant role at Liverpool, Italian boss De Zerbi is attracting attention after continuing Graham Potter's work on the South-coast since late 2022.

Another name in the running for the Man United job is Zinedine Zidane, who possesses plenty of experience of managing some of football's biggest stars, having led Real Madrid to three Champions League titles.