Report claims Man Utd are in talks with “unique” manager to replace Ten Hag

Manchester United could finally have found their replacement for Erik ten Hag this summer, it has been reported.

Ten Hag under pressure

There is no doubt that the rest of the season appears to be Ten Hag’s final chance to keep hold of his position as Manchester United boss beyond this summer, especially with Sir Jim Ratcliffe now in control of sporting decisions. Currently 6th in the Premier League and looking like a huge outside bet for Champions League football next season, they are out of all European competitions too.

They have an FA Cup quarter-final tie against title-chasing Liverpool to come, which represents their last shot at silverware this season. Should they be knocked out, and results continue to fluctuate in the top flight, it could prove curtains for Ten Hag’s tenure at the Theatre of Dreams.

Already major backroom changes have been made since the arrival of Ratcliffe in December 2023, with Omar Berrada arriving from Manchester City to take on the CEO role, while there is hope that both Dan Ashworth and Dougie Freedman will also take up roles from Newcastle United and Crystal Palace respectively.

That could take plenty of transfer pressure away from the manager, with Ten Hag particularly having been accused of having too much control over transfers in the past, which led to signings like Antony, Sofyan Amrabat and Tyrell Malacia, none of whom have worked out as intended. But will he be there even in a reduced role?

Man Utd in De Zerbi talks

Now reports suggest that a decision could well have been made after all and that it is Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi that Ratcliffe has identified to be the next man across the threshold at OId Trafford. It has already emerged that De Zerbi’s Brighton contract contains a hefty £12m release clause should any club wish to land the Italian this summer, and United are thought to be weighing up a move.

That is according to Spanish outlet El Nacional relayed by Caught Offside, who report that Barcelona are also keen on De Zerbi to replace the outgoing Xavi in Catalunya this summer, but it is the Red Devils who are in negotiations.

They state that Ratcliffe has ‘opted to fire’ Ten Hag and ‘may interfere in Barca’s search for a new coach’, with both sides chasing a manager who will combine an attractive brand of football with results.

De Zerbi certainly fits that bill. Having taken over from Graham Potter at the AMEX stadium last season, he has seen his side both score and concede plenty of goals and has been responsible for plenty of tactical tweaks for other managers this season.

Should they opt for De Zerbi, they would be landing a manager described by Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola as “one of the most influential” since the turn of the millennium. Guardiola dubbed De Zerbi “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years” because of this brand of football earlier in the campaign, with the City boss adding that “there is no team playing the way they play. It is unique.”

Should he arrive to rival Guardiola in Manchester, it could lead to some of the most tactically fascinating battles between the two clubs ever seen.