“We don’t think we will be able to continue with Erik Ten Hag. After a long meeting with the board for the way forward, we have decided to appoint a new coach who has good reputation on his playing and coaching career to take the job from him”-Manchester United dream of ambitious move to appoint ex-Ballon d’Or winner as replacement for Ten Hag: Reports

Manchester United is reportedly eyeing Zinedine Zidane as their potential next manager, with the new management group at Old Trafford, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, looking to replace Erik ten Hag and viewing the former Real Madrid boss as an ideal candidate.

According to a report from FootMercato, Zidane is at the top of INEOS’s list of potential replacements for Ten Hag. However, securing his services won’t be straightforward.

The Red Devils have identified alternative options as well as they prepare for significant changes at Old Trafford this summer. This news emerged shortly after Zidane expressed openness to returning to management, stating (via GOAL):

“Why not? Anything can happen. Currently, I’m focusing on other things, but we’ll see – I would certainly be interested in returning to the touchline.”

Bayern Munich has also been linked with the former Ballon d’Or winner, who has been without a managerial role since departing Real Madrid in 2021 after his second spell at the helm.

Gary Neville recently issued a warning to Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, emphasizing the need for his tactical philosophy to translate effectively onto the pitch. Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Neville remarked:

“At the moment, that isn’t being demonstrated, and this issue has persisted for many months. We speculated that upon the players’ return, we might witness a change, but even that seems like an excuse because even when other clubs have key players missing, they maintain their tactical identity and patterns with the substitutes or reserve players.”

Neville continued:

“There’s a growing concern week by week. While Ten Hag has proven his ability to implement attractive football during his tenure at Ajax, he’s encountering significant difficulty in establishing a cohesive style at Manchester United that’s evident to all. They don’t exhibit a distinct pressing, direct, or possession-oriented approach. It’s a bit of everything.”

Rio Ferdinand echoed Neville’s sentiments, suggesting that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would eagerly seize the opportunity to manage Manchester United if presented with the chance.