Amid all of the speculation regarding Erik ten Hag’s future at Manchester United, one ‘surprise’ contender has now emerged to take over at Old Trafford.
If there was an intention to swiftly move Erik ten Hag on once the season concluded, then winning the FA Cup in dominant fashion wasn’t necessarily part of the plan.
Of course, everyone at Man United will have been delighted to lift a second trophy in two years, especially during a poor period for the club on the whole.
But parting ways with Ten Hag has now become a lot harder, a manager who suddenly has a lot more popular support.
And with one-year-left on his contract at Old Trafford, there’s a credible argument for the club to allow the Dutchman another season.
That being said, there are one or two managers potentially available this summer who could be of great interest to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new era.
Former United man Kieran McKenna is attracting a lot of attention right now, with Robbie Savage recently rubbishing remarks that he’s not ready.
And according to Mail Sport, McKenna appears on a five-man shortlist, including one ‘surprise’ contender.
Former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi could be next Man United boss
Roberto De Zerbi, who is leaving Brighton & Hove Albion by mutual consent this summer, could now become United’s new manager should Ten Hag be sacked.
According to the report mentioned, United spoke with De Zerbi’s representatives last week as part of their contingency planning.
The club have also spoken to Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, Brentford’s Thomas Frank, Bayern Munich’s Thomas Tuchel and former Chelsea boss Maurico Pochettino.
When conducting their end of season review, Manchester United will now need to decide if any of these names would represent a sufficient upgrade on their current incumbent.
Ten Hag is clearly convinced that he deserves to stay on as manager, but is this FA Cup win just papering over the cracks?
It’s no easy choice for United’s decision-makers, and all of the candidates mentioned come with their own risks.
De Zerbi for example is regarded as a football ‘genius’, but was also considered a fractious character when disagreeing with Brighton’s top-brass.
Of course, United may feel the need to make a fairly swift decision too, given Chelsea could end up beating them to their preferred candidate should they head in that direction.
All that being said, Saturday’s FA Cup win could actually help Manchester United secure a key signing.