World-class manager is 'first in line' to replace Erik ten Hag if he's sacked by Man Utd

Manchester United contacted a handful of managers as they considered Erik ten Hag's future, including a candidate they consider to be 'first in line' if the latter is sacked.

At the end of last season, after United triumphed over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, it was confirmed that Ten Hag would remain in charge at Old Trafford following an end-of-season review.

After finishing eighth in the league, the Dutchman was under a huge amount of scrutiny. In fact, United's owners held talks with several managers over replacing the former Ajax boss, including Mauricio Pochettino, Marco Silva and Thomas Tuchel.

Ten Hag later confirmed that United held discussions with Tuchel. "Manchester United have told me that they spoke with [Thomas] Tuchel, but they eventually came to the conclusion that they already have the best manager," he told Dutch TV channel NOS.

"INEOS took their time. They are new in football, it's normal to reflect on the season. It's no secret that they talked with multiple candidates.

Several months later and United have struggled in their opening three league games. They scraped past Fulham on the opening day thanks to a late goal from Joshua Zirkzee before suffering two defeats on the bounce against Brighton and Liverpool.

As a result, Ten Hag's future has become a hot topic of debate.

United would be 'highly unlikely' to hire Gareth Southgate, according to a report from the Daily Mail in July, after the former England boss was heavily linked with the role earlier this year.

Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, is expected to be first in line to replace Ten Hag.

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Amid the ongoing speculation surrounding Ten Hag's job, United CEO Omar Berrada has backed the current United boss to remain in charge.

"Erik has our full backing and we have worked very closely together in this transfer window. We're going to continue working very closely with him to help him get the best results out of the team.

He added: "In terms of the contract, that was a decision that was taken prior to both of our arrivals. But we're very happy with that decision."

Berrada insisted they will support the Dutchman even if United's poor start continues, adding: "Absolutely. We think Erik is the right coach for us and we're fully backing him."