Manchester United chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has contacted Thomas Tuchel as part of his aim to replace Erik ten Hag this summer, according to reports.
Ten Hag had come under pressure earlier in the season when Man Utd were knocked out of both the Champions League and League Cup, vastly reducing their chances of winning a trophy. Ten Hag’s side have since qualified for the FA Cup final, though the all-time classic against Coventry City did little to enhance the Dutchman’s reputation.
Despite being 3-0 up after 70 minutes, Man Utd allowed Coventry to get back into the match. The Championship outfit left Man Utd stunned when they brought it back to 3-3 in stoppage time, taking the semi-final to extra time.
Coventry thought they had won it at the death when Victor Torp converted from Haji Wright’s through ball, but Man Utd were given a lifeline thanks to an offside call from VAR.
The Red Devils eventually won the clash on penalties, setting up another FA Cup final against local rivals Manchester City, though Ten Hag will be very frustrated that his players did not get the job done inside 90 minutes.
Ratcliffe and new technical director Jason Wilcox were among those present at Wembley, and they will not have liked what they saw.
It is increasingly likely that Ratcliffe will sack Ten Hag this summer, with Man Utd still way off English rivals such as City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
As per German journalist Georg Holzner, who works for Kicker, Ratcliffe is already taking steps to replace Ten Hag.
Thomas Tuchel a concrete target for Man Utd
The British billionaire has initiated contact with departing Bayern Munich boss Tuchel to see if he would be open to becoming Man Utd’s new manager.
Ratcliffe rates Tuchel ‘highly’ and has asked if he will ‘commit’ to Man Utd ahead of next season. The German is currently weighing up whether to accept Ratcliffe’s offer.
There has been talk of Tuchel performing a huge U-turn and potentially staying at Bayern, despite both parties previously agreeing to part ways.
However, Holzner confirms that Tuchel will definitely leave Bayern in the summer, allowing Man Utd to get their man.
Tuchel is not the only manager Man Utd are interested in, as they are also keeping tabs on Roberto De Zerbi, Gareth Southgate and Thiago Motta.
But Tuchel’s pedigree, having won the Champions League with Chelsea, makes him the preferred candidate.
Reports in France have linked Man Utd with another UCL-winning boss, Zinedine Zidane, though that move appears unlikely.
