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Manchester United are reportedly interested in replacing Erik ten Hag with former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.
Ten Hag’s future at United is in doubt after their worst ever start to a Premier League season following Sunday’s drab 0-0 draw against Aston Villa.
United’s senior hierarchy, including co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, have a lengthy meeting on Tuesday and the Dutchman’s position could be one of the key topics discussed.
Ten Hag has been under fire in recent weeks Manchester Evening News have reported that the club are lining up Tuchel, 51, for just seven games in the new Premier League campaign.
Other candidates for the role are admired by the United hierarchy, but the MEN report that Tuchel’s availability makes him the main contender if Ten Hag is removed from his position.
Manchester United are reportedly looking to replace Erik ten Hag with Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel could take over from Ten Hag, who is under pressure after a poor start to the season
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and United’s hierarchy will meet in London on Tuesday to scrutinize Ten Hag’s position
The 20-time English champions were interested in Tuchel this summer following his departure from Bayern Munich and United club chiefs held talks with the German over the role.
But they chose to stay with Ten Hag, as they extended his contract for another year.
However, United are still considering a move for Tuchel and the German manager is still available.
Ten Hag’s position has again been examined and his team is in a modest fourteenth place in the Premier League after seven games.
United have won just two league matches so far, drawing two and losing three. With just eight points to their name, it is their worst league start since 1989/90, when they finished thirteenth under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Their last league match was a goalless draw at Villa Park on Sunday, their fifth game without a win.
When asked about his future after the match, Ten Hag stated that no communication between himself and the United hierarchy suggested an imminent exit.
“So I have no idea that’s any different,” he said. ‘They should have told me. We communicate very openly, very transparently.
‘I talk to them all the time and just after the match I have to do my job, talk to the players, manage the players and answer questions from you. We always talk. Every week I would say we talk every day, so I expect to talk to them.”
Ten Hag has endured United’s worst start to a Premier League season in the club’s history
Ahead of the Birmingham standoff, United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was also pressed over Ten Hag’s position at the club.
In an interview with the BBC, Ratcliffe refused to give his full support to the Dutchman, before claiming it was the role of the new leadership team to assess his progress.
“I like Erik, I think he’s a very good coach, but ultimately it’s not my decision,” Ratcliffe explains. ‘It is the management team that runs Manchester United that has to decide how best to run the team in many different respects.
‘Our objective is very clear. We want to get Manchester United back to where it should be and it’s not there yet, that’s very clear.”
Tuchel won the Champions League with Premier League rivals Chelsea in 2020/21
Tuchel’s possible appointment would see him return to the Premier League as a manager for the first time since leaving Chelsea in 2022.
While in West London, Tuchel won the Champions League in his first season at the club. The German also won the Club World Cup during his stay in the English capital.
Tuchel left Bayern in the summer but the club considered a turnaround before appointing Vincent Kompany.