Manchester United is exploring the possibility of bringing in Thomas Tuchel as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag.
Tuchel was a candidate to replace Ten Hag during the summer and remains available after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season. While United is also considering other candidates currently associated with clubs, Tuchel’s immediate availability makes him an appealing option.
United officials are scheduled to meet in London on Tuesday, and Ten Hag is expected to have discussions with the club in the coming days. When questioned about his future after the goalless draw with Aston Villa, Ten Hag stated, “I don’t have any idea that is different because they should have told me. We communicate very openly and transparently. I speak continuously with them, and just after the game, I have to do my job, talk with the players, manage the players, and answer questions from you. We talk every week, and I would say every day.”
Ten Hag’s position has become precarious, with United winning only three of their 11 matches this season and sitting 14th in the Premier League. The team has scored just five goals in seven league games, with only 19th-placed Southampton netting fewer. United currently trails the fourth Champions League qualifying spot by seven points and has not failed to qualify for the tournament in consecutive seasons since re-entering it in 1993.
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In the summer, Tuchel met with United co-chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe to discuss the possibility of taking over. When asked if he had confidence in Ten Hag, Ratcliffe responded, “I don’t want to answer that question.” He also indicated that the key decision-makers at United are CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth, who started in July and thus had no influence on the decision to retain Ten Hag.
Last month, Ashworth stated he had “none whatsoever” regarding Ten Hag’s position, despite writing in the club yearbook about the decision to extend Ten Hag’s contract to June 2026, emphasizing confidence in him as one of Europe’s top coaches.
Despite receiving full backing from Berrada and Ashworth just five weeks ago, United has won only two of their seven fixtures between the September and October international breaks, marking their worst start to a league season in 35 years.
Tuchel, 51, expressed enthusiasm for United’s interest last season and spoke highly of the club before Bayern’s matches against United in the Champions League group stage. He praised United’s historic aura and referenced their 1999 Champions League final comeback against Bayern.
Tuchel has Premier League experience from his time at Chelsea, where he won the Champions League and the Club World Cup and guided the club to three other finals. However, he has not had longevity at his last two clubs, spending 18 months at both Bayern and Chelsea and two-and-a-half years at Paris Saint-Germain. He became the only PSG coach to reach the Champions League final in 2020, where they lost to Bayern, and won successive Ligue 1 titles with PSG and a Bundesliga title with Bayern in 2023.