If Thomas Tuchel accepts the position of England’s next manager after rumored talks with the FA, he might not be able to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United anytime soon.
However, rumors have it that INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have another highly-regarded candidate in mind to replace the Dutchman at Old Trafford. Even though Ten Hag avoided the firing after a six-hour meeting in London on Tuesday between the club’s decision-makers, which included Ratcliffe, Joel Glazer, and Sir Dave Brailsford, Ten Hag is still under close scrutiny because of his record of just seven victories in United’s last thirty Premier League and European games.
In the event that United decides to make a change soon, Tuchel is now considered the front-runner to take over. After leaving Bayern Munich in the summer, the German coach held talks with Ratcliffe in Monaco, but they ended in deadlock. He was not Ratcliffe’s first pick, according to reports, after the latter finished investing £1.3 billion for a 28% share in United in February.
Foot Mercato revealed earlier this year that Ratcliffe intended to bring Zinedine Zidane back to the M16 as part of his goal to return United to its previous glory. According to the source, INEOS had fantasies about Ten Hag’s replacement by the Frenchman. According to the Express, Jean-Claude Blanc, who is currently on the United board, allegedly attempted to sign him while he was at Paris Saint-Germain.
Zidane has been patiently waiting for the ideal chance since he left Real Madrid for the second time in 2021. The 52-year-old won two La Liga championships and three straight Champions League wins from 2015 to 2018 in his two terms.
There are rumors that he is waiting for Didier Deschamps’s term as France manager to end before taking over. RMC notes that Deschamps has his sights set on the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 2026 for the World Cup, and that he has no intention of stepping down anytime soon.
The current France manager, who won the World Cup in 2018, is allegedly reluctant to give Zidane the job out of concern that he will eclipse his legacy. When Zidane becomes available, Ratcliffe may take advantage of the situation, especially if Tuchel is off unexpectedly.
United’s primary goal is still to assist Ten Hag in the hopes that following the October break, performance would quickly improve. His term may not last past November’s international break if there is no improvement.
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