Sir Jim Ratcliffe leads Man United’s power brokers Sir Dave Brailsford and Dan Ashworth – the men who will decide whether to sack Erik ten Hag – into his Knightsbridge offices for exec meeting

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was spotted leading Sir Dave Brailsford and Dan Ashworth into his offices on Tuesday morning ahead of their highly-anticipated executive meeting.

United’s leadership team are gathering in London for a scheduled meeting, which has taken on extra significance amid doubts over Man United manager Erik ten Hag‘s future.

Ten Hag is under intense pressure after a woeful start to the season which leaves the 13-time Premier League champions 14th in the table on just eight points from seven matches – their worst ever start in the competition.

Two draws in the last week, including a 3-3 stalemate against Porto in the Europa League and a goalless run-out against Aston Villa yesterday, have staunched a string of defeats but done little to steady Ten Hag’s position.

Ratcliffe was spotted leading Brailsford and Ashworth into his offices in Knightsbridge on Tuesday morning for the meeting.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe (right) was seen arriving for a meeting with Man United’s chiefs on Tuesday

The United co-owner led fellow staff inside his Knightsbridge offices ahead of the meeting

Sir Dave Brailsford (right) was among those who were spotted by ITV News arriving on Tuesday

Sporting director Dan Ashworth smiled at cameras as he made his way inside the office

Minority owner Ratcliffe watched United’s goalless draw with Aston Villa on Sunday along with director Brailsford, chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.

Discussions over Ten Hag’s future continued into Monday and it will be on the agenda again when co-chairman Joel Glazer, chief operating officer Collette Roche and chief financial officer Roger Bell join them for the executive committee meeting on Tuesday.

United are wary of fuelling speculation over Ten Hag’s future after Thomas Tuchel and Simone Inzaghi were linked with the job if he is sacked after two-and-a-half years in charge at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe is known to be an admirer of Tuchel and met the German coach in Monaco during the summer when Ten Hag’s future was in doubt before the FA Cup final.

Tuchel is still available but it’s unclear if the obstacles that prevented him from replacing Ten Hag then can be overcome now.  

Money was said to be one of them. It’s understood there has been no new contact between United and his representatives at this stage.

Erik ten Hag kept his job in the summer but is now under huge pressure again after United’s woeful start to the season

Ratcliffe and United’s hierachy were in attendance for the stalemate draw against Aston Villa

Tuchel’s potential appointment would see him return to manage in the Premier League for the first time since leaving Chelsea in 2022.

The other obvious option open to United is to install Ten Hag’s new assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim boss. 

The former United striker returned to Old Trafford as part of a summer shake-up of the coaching team having had managerial experience at PSV Eindhoven. Van Nistelrooy has got to know the players and staff, and is well respected around the club.

Otherwise, the landscape has changed very little since June when United decided that keeping Ten Hag was the best course of action and gave him a one-year contract extension.

Meanwhile, plans for a new Old Trafford stadium took another step forward last month as the first images of a potential regeneration were revealed.