Man Utd manager search blown wide open by Mauricio Pochettino’s availability
Mauricio Pochettino’s sudden availability means Manchester United may have to rip up their plans should they decide to sack Erik ten Hag this summer.
i understands no decision has been made on whether Ten Hag will remain at United, with Ineos choosing to wait until after Saturday’s FA Cup final to consider his fate. It is not thought that the result against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium will have much bearing on the outcome.
However, should Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford and new chief executive Omar Berrada come to the conclusion that a new coach is needed to carry out the Ineos revolution, Pochettino’s Chelsea exit represents a fresh twist to the managerial recruitment process.
Ineos are understood to have their shortlist of potential Ten Hag replacements in place, as they want to beckon in an era of being proactive rather than reactive. They feel knee-jerk decisions have been the crux of the problem in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years at Old Trafford.
Thomas Tuchel and Gareth Southgate are high on the list, with Graham Potter, Kieran McKenna, Roberto De Zerbi and Ruben Amorim also understood to be admired by Ineos. But Pochettino being back on the market looks set to make them go back to the drawing board.
Ineos are long-term admirers of the Argentine. They tried to bring him to Nice, another club in their footballing portfolio. United themselves considered hiring him two years ago before going for Ajax boss Ten Hag, with some senior figures at the club reportedly keen to rekindle their interest.
Pochettino lasting less than a year in charge of Chelsea has not tarnished his reputation in Manchester.
“If anything, he leaves with a better reputation than when he arrived at Chelsea,” a source close to the club tells i. “This crazy Chelsea team finished the season strongly and finished above United, despite all the drama on and off the pitch.”
Unlike Chelsea, who sources said are likely to move very quickly to replace the former Tottenham boss, the fact Pochettino’s own options are limited plays into United’s hands, too.
The majority of the others on Ineos’s hitlist are very much in demand. Southgate will take some persuading to leave England, given the generation of talent available to him. Sources close to the England coach have insisted that as it stands, he is not convinced the time is right to take the United job.
McKenna appears destined to replace either Pochettino at Chelsea or De Zerbi at Brighton, with both clubs set to make their moves in the coming days, long before United are even sure if they need a new manager.
De Zerbi is another with plentiful options. He is understood to be interested in the Chelsea role too, even if the club are unsure whether the firebrand Italian is the right fit for them, and whether he has the “footballing identity” they are looking for. He has also long harboured dreams of coaching AC Milan and Juventus back in Italy, both of whom will soon be looking for a new coach.
This is all a moot point if United elect to stick with Ten Hag for another season. Several United legends have called for the Dutchman to be given more time at the club, insisting that he deserves the opportunity to work under a proper hierarchical structure, which will be in place once Dan Ashworth is confirmed as sporting director.
One sticking point is the company finances. Reports have suggested that to adhere to Financial Fair Play and the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules, Ineos could be left to work with a summer transfer budget of around £40m to complete their playing squad overhaul, before any money has been generated from player sales.
Sacking Ten Hag is likely to cost around £10m. That figure would go on to this year’s accounts if they removed the Dutchman before 30 June.
Given this season has been such a disastrous one, after signs of progress last term, many feel Teg Hag’s time will be up, regardless of the money it costs to relieve him of his duties, with a lowest-ever Premier League points tally impossible to ignore.
The man who he edged out two years ago will be waiting in the wings.