Thomas Tuchel on Man Utd shortlist as ex-Chelsea boss lined up to replace Erik ten Hag

Manchester United is considering firing Erik ten Hag, who is scheduled to have crucial discussions with the team in the coming days, and is once again considering Thomas Tuchel.

Thomas Tuchel could be the next Man Utd boss (Image: Getty Images)

According to reports, Manchester United is hoping to sign Thomas Tuchel as a possible successor to current head coach Erik ten Hag.

Since the Red Devils debated over benching Ten Hag in the summer, Tuchel has been on their radar. Now that he has left Bayern Munich and is kicking himself, United may consider turning to the German.

Ten Hag’s future is scheduled to be discussed by United’s senior authorities in London on Tuesday.Following the dreary Aston Villa draw, Ten Hag said of his future, “So I don’t have any idea that is different,” adding that “they should have told me.” We have very open and honest communication.

“I chat to them all the time, and right after the game I have work to do, including managing the players and responding to your questions. We converse all the time. I would say that we communicate every day of the week, so I anticipate speaking with them.”

Ten Hag is under increasing pressure following their dismal start to the season; as of now, the Red Devils have only won three of their eleven games, placing them in 14th place in the standings.

Even the 19th-place Saints have scored more goals than them in their seven league games. According to the Manchester Evening News, the team is also currently seven points behind for the coveted fourth Champions League qualifying berth.

The club made their big return in 1993 and hasn’t missed out on Europe’s top-tier competition back-to-back since then.

Tuchel met in private with Sir Jim Ratcliffe of United in the summer to discuss taking over as manager. Playing cautious, Ratcliffe said, “I don’t want to answer that question” when asked about his confidence in Ten Hag during a Friday BBC interview.

Sir Jim was in attendance over the weekend (Image: PA)

Although it was too late for them to have any influence over Ten Hag’s future, head coaches Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth are said to hold the actual power. They formally joined the team in July.

Ashworth left a hint in the team yearbook, writing: “Our first big decision of the summer was to extend Erik ten Hag’s contract as men’s first-team manager to June 2026, reflecting our strong belief in him as one of Europe’s top coaches, and the partner we want to continue working with to get the team back to the levels expected.” This is in contrast to his previous month’s “none whatsoever” claim.

Five weeks ago, Ashworth and Berrada seemed to be all in for Ten Hag, but United’s dismal record of just two victories in seven games between the September and October internationals speaks volumes differently. It’s the worst season opener they’ve had in thirty-five years.

The previous season, Tuchel, 51, was unable to contain his excitement for United, exuding an air of mysterious charm just before Bayern and they met in Champions League group play. Without being prodded, the German even mentioned United’s ’99 Champions League victory over Bayern.

Along with his Champions League and Club World Cup victories, Tuchel also has Premier League experience from his time at Chelsea, when he guided the team to three further finals. Still, Tuchel’s tenure isn’t particularly noteworthy.

His last two clubs were Bayern and Chelsea, where he played for eighteen months each, before spending two and a half years with Paris Saint-Germain.

Even though Bayern defeated PSG in the Champions League final in 2020, he established history as the only PSG coach to do it. In 2023, Tuchel led Bayern to a Bundesliga title win and PSG to back-to-back Ligue 1 titles.