Erik ten Hag is on the brink at Manchester United and the club are already looking at potential replacements.
Ten Hag has overseen Man United’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season following an uneventful 0-0 draw at Aston Villa.
They have won just eight points from their opening seven matches and sit 14th in the table, six points outside of the top four.
United held a pre-planned summit meeting in the last week with Ten Hag’s future likely to have been high on the agenda.
He looks set to remain in the job over the international break but surely failing to turn around the form would spell the end for the Dutchman.
And here, talkSPORT.com has taken a look at who could replace him…
Who could replace Erik ten Hag?
Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel has admirers on the Manchester United board, talkSPORT understands.
Former Chelsea boss Tuchel held talks with United in the summer but had reservations about the club’s recruitment plans.
Should United part ways with Ten Hag and appoint Tuchel, the German would return to management after his May departure from Bayern Munich.
He has not been linked with many clubs since leaving the German giants and still remains free to join a new side.
Tuchel has a track record of success in Europe thanks to two Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain and a Bundesliga triumph with Bayern among other trophies.
The biggest of all of his impressive career honours though, was glory in the Champions League with Chelsea three years ago.
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Thomas Frank
talkSPORT understands that Brentford manager Thomas Frank is also admired by the Man United board.
Frank has been one of the Premier League’s most impressive head coaches in recent seasons having successfully kept the Bees in the top flight since their promotion in 2021.
The Dane was linked with the Chelsea vacancy in the summer after they mutually parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino, although Enzo Maresca was their eventual replacement.
This season, Brentford have been hit with injury issues to some key players after they lost Ivan Toney in the summer.
But Frank has still managed to make it work with his squad, sitting two points clear of Man United after seven games.
One concern around the Danish boss replacing Ten Hag though, would be the fact he hasn’t managed a big club previously unlike Tuchel.
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Gareth Southgate
Ex-England boss Gareth Southgate is known to be regarded highly by Man United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s INEOS group and sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Southgate was a speculated option for United before taking the Three Lions to Euro 2024.
Despite this, he remained focussed on the approaching task at hand with his country as he said in May: “Well, for me, it’s not an issue and never has been.
“I have to deliver a successful tournament for England and there’s enough work involved in that. I think everybody would expect that’s where my focus should be.”
Southgate left the England job just two days after their 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
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He hasn’t been involved in football since and isn’t planning to come back soon so a move to Man United now seems unlikely.
Speaking about returning to a job, he admitted: “Firstly I’m enjoying my life…so there’s no rush.
“I was 11 years committing myself fully to the FA and I’ve got lots of different experiences.
“But I won’t coach in the next year, for sure. I’m certain of that.
“I need to give myself time to make good decisions. When you come out of a really big role you need to give your body time, you need to give your mind time.”
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