Former England boss Gareth Southgate is the top pick among the majority to key figures at Manchester United should the club decide to replace beleaguered Erik ten Hag.
Southgate has been first choice for a long time, given the close ties he has with Ineos chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe, head of sport Sir Dave Brailsford and United’s sporting director Dan Ashworth.
His relationship with the United hierarchy has grown closer since he became unemployed in the summer following England’s run to the Euro 2024 final. Following his split from agent Terry Byrne, Southgate has hired Jimmy Worrall, founder of Leaders in Sport and a close friend of Ratcliffe and Brailsford, as his new manager.
Southgate and Brailsford are still in contact now having worked together on several occasions and spoken at the same leadership events, while Ashworth and Southgate’s working relationship goes way back, with the pair crucial to developing the England set-up at St George’s Park.
It is understood that giving assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy a chance on an interim basis is understood to be the other option being considered by United at this stage.
Sources close to Ineos have told i that not everyone in United’s leadership team is convinced by Southgate and prefer other options should Ten Hag go, with Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Inter coach Simone Inzaghi all linked with the role in recent days.
Yet the big decision-makers at the club are understood to have decided on their top choice.
“Brailsford is especially persuasive,” one source said.
“He set his sights on Ashworth very early on and went all out to get his man. Southgate has been his top pick as coach since he walked in the door. I expect him to fight to convince others at United that Southgate is the right man.”
i understands Ten Hag is under no immediate threat and will be in charge for at least United’s next two matches against Porto and Aston Villa.
However, lose both of those games – on the back of United’s joint-worst start to a Premier League season after six games – and new co-owners Ineos are likely to assess their options.
Ratcliffe’s perception of Southgate is understood to be simple. The Manchester-born billionaire sees it as a real coup if United can bring in a successful former England coach, a sign of the power they wield as a football club.
Even though a large number of supporters are starting to turn on Ten Hag following United’s 3-0 humbling against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Southgate would not be a universally popular choice as his replacement, given he has been out of club management for 15 years and some perceive his style of play as negative.
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