FOUR concrete Man Utd manager targets revealed in wake of Ten Hag sack - exclusive (original) (raw)

Manchester United have sacked manger Erik Ten Hag this morning and placed club legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy in charge of the club on an interim basis.

The former Red Devils striker has been informed that he is in charge for the clubs upcoming matches and will take control of all first team matters, for now.

Sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that those behind the scenes at Old Trafford are hopeful that they can appoint a world-class manager in the coming weeks.

One candidate on their radar is Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann. We understand that the Red Devils are set to approach the coach in the hope that they can convince him to leave his current post and replace Ten Hag.

Sources have played down the chances of him taking over and state that he wants to lead Germany into the 2026 World Cup.

Despite this, we can reveal that there will be a call from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team and the feeling is that Nagelsmann could find it difficult to turn the opportunity down. Ratcliffe has passed control of the situation over to Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada.

As we have consistently reported, Graham Potter has made it clear that he would be keen to manage Man Utd and sources say he has a ‘genuine chance’ of landing the role because he is out of work and ready to go.

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Potter’s understanding of the Premier League and the work he done whilst at Brighton make him a favourable candidate, while it’s accepted that he always faced an uphill task during his time at Chelsea.

TEAMtalk can confirm that Ratcliffe is a big admirer of Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, but the cost of releasing him from his contract at St James’ Park is a major roadblock to bringing him in. That is the same reason why the FA ruled out appointing him as England manager and the issue has been discussed by Man Utd’s chiefs.

As we exclusively revealed on Thursday, Brentford manager Thomas Frank is another candidate who has been discussed by the Red Devil’s board.

Frank’s style of play, media friendly personality and the positive relationships he has with his players are key factors for him being a leading contender.

There is some doubt among sources that Frank would leave Brentford mid-season and the fact that Man Utd would have to pay a compensation fee to bring him in is also a problem.

However, the Danish coach has hinted that he is ready for a fresh challenge in recent weeks and would be open to having a conversation with Man Utd.

Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been linked with a shock return to the club by the Manchester Evening News as they focus their search on out-of-work managers.

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