By Sean Walsh
The Football Association are not currently working on a succession plan for England head coach Gareth Southgate and they are 'desperate' for him to stay beyond his current contract, a report has claimed.
Southgate's deal expires in December 2024 and he is yet to make a decision on his future. This summer's European Championships will be his fourth major tournament in charge of the Three Lions.
The Daily Telegraph claim that despite this uncertainty over Southgate's position, the FA do not have any plans to replace him and hope he will stay to lead their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.
The report lists four potential candidates for the England job should Southgate depart - Eddie Howe, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel - but add they have not been spoken to and there is no succession plan in place.
Southgate has admitted that any decision could be taken out of his hands if England do not have a successful Euro 2024, with the Three Lions among the favourites to go all the way.
"If we don't win, I probably won't be here anymore," Southgate recently said to BILD.
"So maybe it is the last chance. I think around half the national coaches leave after a tournament - that's the nature of international football.
"I've been here almost eight years now and we've come close. You can't constantly put yourself in front of the public and say, 'A little more please', as at some point people lose faith. If we want to be a great team and I want to be a top coach, you must deliver in big moments."
Southgate has also been linked with the Manchester United job in recent months, though the Red Devils are still weighing up the future of current manager Erik ten Hag.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Gareth Southgate and FA have differing views over England job - report.
