Ten Hag, who still has one season remaining on his three-year contract signed in 2022 upon his arrival from Ajax, finds himself in a precarious position due to mixed results and the potential for change following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s co-ownership and a new sporting direction.
Manchester United’s performance has faltered since Ten Hag’s promising debut season, with 11 losses in their 28 Premier League fixtures in 2023/24, leaving them trailing the top four by nine points, though they do have a game in hand over fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Despite this, they are expected to make a return to the FA Cup final for the second consecutive year after being drawn against second-tier Coventry City in the semi-finals.
Although Ten Hag remains hopeful of impressing Ratcliffe and the new hierarchy, which includes INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford and incoming chief executive Omar Berrada, uncertainty looms over his future as an audit of United’s football operations is ongoing.
While Ten Hag has been involved in planning for the summer transfer window, Brailsford has been exploring alternative managerial options for the next season.
Recent reports have linked Gareth Southgate with the United job, alongside other potential candidates such as Graham Potter, Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank,
Thomas Tuchel, Julen Lopetegui, Zinedine Zidane, Ruben Amorim, and Julian Nagelsmann, suggesting that a range of possibilities are being considered internally.
Notably, Potter, Tuchel, Lopetegui, and Zidane are either currently available or soon to be.
While Ten Hag’s immediate future appears secure under the new regime, uncertainty also surrounds the managerial position of United’s women’s team.
Incumbent boss Marc Skinner’s contract is set to expire in three months, with the team failing to replicate last season’s success, slipping out of contention in both the WSL title race and the hunt for Champions League places.
