Manchester United lining up ex-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel to replace Erik ten Hag

Manchester United are plotting a move for Thomas Tuchel, with intense pressure mounting on Erik ten Hag after a wretched start to the campaign.

The Red Devils slumped to eighth, their worst ever finish in the Premier League last season, but Ten Hag was given the backing of club bosses after steering the side to an unlikely FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

However, it was an open secret that United had been speaking with managerial candidates at the start of the summer and the Dutchman appears to be living on borrowed time once again, with the Old Trafford giants languishing down in 14th place this term.

The likes of Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter and Massimiliano Allegri have all been linked as potential successors to Ten Hag, but former Chelsea head coach Tuchel has moved to the front of the queue, according to Manchester Evening News.

Tuchel has been out of a job since his departure from Bayern Munich as part of ‘a sporting realignment’ at the end of last season, just 15 months into his tenure at the Allianz Arena.

The report claimsUnited’s hierarchy have scheduled a meeting in London for today and the fact that Tuchel is immediately attainable stands out as a major ‘attraction’.

It’s understood Tuchel held discussions with United’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe earlier this year over the prospect of taking over the reins at the Theatre of Dreams.

Tuchel began his managerial career with Augsburg II and went on to take charge of Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain before replacing Frank Lampard at Chelsea in January 2021.

The 51-year-old German guided the Blues to three pieces of silverware, including the 2020/21 Champions League, during his 20-month tenure in west London.

‘We took this position, the initiative came from the club, and so it is and I’m fine with it,’ Tuchel said regarding his Bayern Munich exit earlier this summer.

‘I don’t need it for the extra percentage of competitiveness because I’m always up for a win, I’m always thinking how to improve the squad or how to improve myself in coaching.

‘We go all in. Does it have an influence on where I am next season? Maybe not.

‘Maybe I’m on holiday no matter what, let’s see, let’s see.’

In the aftermath of Sunday’s goalless draw with Aston Villa, Ten Hag insisted he still had the support of the United board.

Asked whether Ratcliffe and his advisors still backed him, Ten Hag replied: ‘I don’t have any idea that’s different because [otherwise] they should have told me. We communicate very openly. It’s very transparent.

‘We are all on board together, on one page. We know what we are working through is a long-term process. I speak continually with them. After the game I have to do my job – talking to the players, managing the players and answering questions from the media.

‘But we always talk every week. I would say we talk every day so I expect I will speak to them.’

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