Who will be the next Man United manager? Gareth Southgate, Zinedine Zidane and other candidates to replace Erik ten Hag

Manchester United could soon be on the hunt for a new manager after continued rumors surrounding Erik ten Hag's future.

The Red Devils' new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is still carrying out a review of the season which will determine the Dutchman's future.

Ten Hag appeared to have secured a stay of execution after masterminding last month's FA Cup win over Manchester City.

The former Ajax manager's success at Wembley ensured United reached the Europa League for next season.

It may not be enough to rescue him after overseeing the club's worst-ever Premier League result in eight past campaigns.

However, with a shortage of elite-level managers, the best option for who could replace him is not immediately clear.

So who could Ratcliffe point to as a possible successor to the dutch under fire? We take a look at the possible candidates…

Graham Potter

Potter has rejected numerous job offers in recent weeks and months it is clearly being saved for something big.

talkSPORT has revealed Potter would be a candidate to become England manager if Gareth Southgate retires after the Euro.

The former Chelsea boss is also a leading candidate to replace Ten Hag due to his relationship with incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth from their time working successfully together at Brighton.

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Potter also has a key ally in Ratcliffe's right-hand man and former Team GB cycling guru Sir Dave Brailsford.

His appointment would be disappointing in the eyes of many United fans after an unfortunate spell at Chelsea, but Potter would argue that the set-up behind the scenes was too chaotic for any manager to succeed.

The big question is: Did he learn enough from that experience to command respect in a notoriously difficult locker room?

During his stay in Brighton, Also wanted by Ajax.Potter has shown his ability to blood and develop young players and implement a distinctive, progressive style of play, and would do well to ditch the 'shine' and return to being a training ground manager.

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Gareth Southgate

Yeah South Gate The decision to continue with England after the Euros is still very much open to debate and may depend on how well they do in this summer's tournament.

He is another disciple of Ashworth and is in a WhatsApp group with Brailsford along with several other high-profile coaches such as former England Rugby World Cup boss Eddie Jones, so there is substance to reports linking him with INEOS.

As Ten Hag has all too well discovered, few jobs in world football are subject to as much scrutiny as United, but the way Southgate has handled himself as England manager and his relationship with the media has shown that he can handle that pressure. something Ratcliffe has demonstrated. taken note of.

He also has a good relationship with United's English contingent, so he should be well received by the players.

However, he has not taken charge of a club since being sacked by Middlesbrough in 2009, so there are concerns he is better suited to international management.

Meanwhile, his critics would point out that he has failed to win anything despite having so much generational talent at his disposal.

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Mauricio Pochettino

talkSPORT understands Pochettino would be interested in moving to Old Trafford after his departure from Chelsea.

Pochettino missed out on the Man United manager's job when Ten Hag was appointed two years ago.

But the Argentine, who has admirers at Bayern Munich, is open to a quick return to the bench after leave Chelsea by mutual agreement.

Pochettino was in the role at Stamford Bridge for less than a year, leading them to finish sixth in the 2023/24 season.

They endured many setbacks, including 11 Premier League defeats, a defeat in the FA Cup semi-finals and the Carabao Cup final at the hands of a young Liverpool side.

However, a strong end to the season in which the Blues won their last five league games earned Chelsea a place in the Conference League.

Pochettino has plenty of Premier League experience, having managed Tottenham for five years and Southampton before that.

between his Chelsea and Tottenham, the 52-year-old managed Paris Saint-Germain, where he won Ligue 1, the French Cup and the Champions Trophy.

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Thomas Tuchel

talkSPORT understands that there has been initial contact between Tuchel's advisors and the hierarchy united to express an interest on moving to Old Trafford.

The former Chelsea boss is desperate to return to the Premier League and feels he has unfinished business after his abrupt exit from Stamford Bridge following a row with Blues co-owner Behdad Eghbali. He has also made no secret of the fact that he would love to manage United.

However, Tuchel is not very good at managing and his aggressiveness would count against him, as would his history of changing clubs every two years, as Ratcliffe looks to build for the long term.

A positive aspect is that the German has the ego to believe he can turn United around and wouldn't be afraid to get the dressing room in shape. He is probably the standout contender in the eyes of most United fans, despite failing to win a trophy with Bayern before leaving last month.

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Roberto De Zerbi

If I were writing this a year ago then From Zerbi would probably have been high in INEOS's thoughts.

The Italian had a wonderful debut season in the Premier League, building on the foundations laid by Potter to take Brighton to Europe for the first time, and his Seagulls team also produced a spectacular attacking display to beat United at Old Trafford in August .

Brighton's form in the second half of last season was sketchy, to say the least, and De Zerbi is also believed to have managed to get out of contention for a possible move to Liverpool before the club settled on Arne Slot by openly questioning Brighton board's ambitions at press conferences.

A benefit would be if the negotiations proceeded smoothly after De Zerbi mutually agreed terminate your contract in the Seagulls.

There was a release clause of over £10m in De Zerbi's now-defunct contract should other clubs be interested in him.

talkSPORT understands that, despite an amicable parting of ways, De Zerbi was allowed to leave without payment, Any club that wants to hire him would have to pay a sum to Brighton.

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Zinedine Zidane

'Zizou' He has been unemployed for two years since he left Real Madrid after his second spell in charge.

The French legend is linked with a move to Old Trafford whenever a vacancy arises and would certainly bring the level of stardust that the Red Devils faithful were used to and has the aura to motivate underperforming players like Marcus Rashford.

By his own admission, Zidane's command of the English language is not the best and, despite the World Cup winner saying he is ready to return to work, that would count against him.

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