Manchester United considered nine different names to replace Erik ten Hag

The Sun has reported that Manchester United considered as many as nine different options to replace Erik ten Hag had he been fired at the end of the 2023/24 season.

The manager was under tremendous pressure for much of last campaign, which eventually saw the Red Devils claim their poorest ever ranking in the Premier League standings – eighth.

A FA Cup final success over crosstown rivals Manchester City ended up being the saving grace for ten Hag, whose United side will feature in next season’s UEFA Europa League as a result of the win.

There were two board meetings in Monaco and Ibiza before ten Hag’s future was finalised, with the club’s senior authority cutting all contact with the Dutchman until a decision was taken. Manchester United considered as many as nine different managers in the interim but were unable to reach an agreement with either candidate.

Ruben Amorim and Roberto Martinez were monitored but were discounted fairly early on, whereas Thomas Frank, Marco Silva and Roberto De Zerbi were all sounded out before the FA Cup final.

The Brentford and Fulham managers even met the club’s hierarchy in the days prior to the Manchester derby whereas Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna was also kept on the radar. Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino were high priorities for Manchester United, with the former Bayern Munich manager’s name gaining particular traction after he announced he would quit the role in Germany upon the conclusion of the 2023/24 season.

Tuchel, though tempted by United’s interest, decided to take a break after his role with Bayern. Meanwhile, talks with Pochettino did not materialise further despite Sir Alex Ferguson’s insistence in landing the ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss.

Surprisingly, even Gareth Southgate’s name was mooted but the England head coach had paused a decision on his future until after the European Championship in Germany this summer.

United was not the most appealing destination for a number of managers, which forced them to stay with ten Hag in spite of his failures last season on the pitch and fractured relations off it.

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And although his future remains safe for now, it will not at all come as a surprise if ten Hag is fired once a better name makes himself available for the coaching role at Old Trafford.