Erik ten Hag wanted by three major clubs if Manchester United sack under-fire manager

Erik ten Hag still has admirers in the Bundesliga (Picture: Getty)

Erik ten Hag will not be short of suitors if he is sacked by Manchester United at the end of the season.

The Dutchman is likely to get until May in order to prove to Sir Jim Ratcliffe that he is the right man to oversee a seismic rebuild of the club both on and off the pitch.

Ten Hag did his cause no harm last weekend by masterminding a memorable FA Cup quarter-final comeback against Liverpool, despite being forced to cope with a mounting injury crisis.

Despite that dramatic victory, which teed up a semi-final against Coventry, Ten Hag’s future remains less than certain.

Reports this week have linked current England boss Gareth Southgate with the Old Trafford hot seat amid mounting speculation he will seek a fresh challenge following Euro 2024.

Despite the damage to his reputation a failed spell in the Premier League might inflict, the Daily Star claims the 54-year-old still has many admirers in the Bundesliga.

Ten Hag worked at Bayern Munich earlier in his career and the German giants could turn to their former employee should they fail to land No.1 target Xabi Alonso.

Erik ten Hag boosted his chances of avoiding the axe by masterminding Man Utd’s win over Liverpool last weekend (Picture: Getty)

Bayer Leverkusen insists they remain confident the Spaniard will snub Bayern and another of his former clubs, Liverpool, but should he depart and a vacancy open up with the German champions-elect, Ten Hag would fit the bill, while sleeping giants Stuttgart are also said to be keen on the ex-Ajax boss.

Southgate, meanwhile, this week received the backing of United legends Roy Keane and Gary Neville, who both saw the logic in Ratcliffe coveting the man who has taken the Three Lions to the latter stages of major tournaments over the course of his reign.

‘I could see that happening,’ ex-United captain Keane said on the Stick to Football podcast.

‘Well, obviously everyone’s thinking he’s probably going to be with England this summer if he has a good Euros, thinking if they could win it. And if they don’t, then maybe they’re thinking you’ve ran your race with him.

‘His connection with Dan Ashworth, who he has worked with previously. Yeah, I’m not that surprised with it.’

Neville, meanwhile, ‘never saw’ Southgate in the Old Trafford hot-seat but has changed his mind following Ashworth’s impending move to the club.

Ashworth spent several years at the FA before landing roles at Brighton and Newcastle United and admires Southgate, having endorsed his appointment as England boss.

‘I never saw Gareth Southgate as a Manchester United manager, psychologically, I never saw that,’ Neville said. ‘I can see it now, now Dan Ashworth has come in.

United legends Roy Keane and Gary Neville (Picture: Getty)

‘I just think, what does Erik ten Hag need to do to stay as Manchester United manager? So, for instance, is the FA Cup enough, or does he need to get top four, or top five, Champions League?”

‘I think if Gareth is leaving, I think to be honest with you, you’ll have seen this in tournaments, but it’s never been easy.

‘England will have qualifiers starting up again a couple of months after the tournament, so they’ll have to have a new manager in. And Gareth will need to sort his future out, to get a club for potentially the start of next season.

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‘So, I think if it’s done maturely, I can see how it would be brought forward in terms of Gareth.

‘Forget Manchester United, England would need to appoint a new manager. So, they are going to have to appoint a new manager pre-tournament, probably.

‘And say Gareth is going to be leaving after the tournament, unless he’s just going to leave on the last day and do it quietly, I don’t know.’

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