Gareth Southgate boost as Man Utd target long-term success over short-term gain if Ten Hag is sacked

Manchester United will not pick a successor to Erik ten Hag on their trophy record alone, which boosts the chances of Gareth Southgate emerging as the favourite for the post – should the club decide to sack the Dutchman.

Telegraph Sport revealed on Tuesday that United do not intend to sack Ten Hag before the FA Cup final, but it is now rated as increasingly likely that a change of manager will be made once the club’s season has ended.

England manager Southgate is among the potential candidates to succeed Ten Hag. Unlike others linked to the job such as Thomas Tuchel, he is yet to win any silverware as a coach, but that is not expected to count against him.

However, winning his first trophy this summer – the European Championship – could remove Southgate from the running for the United job if he then decides to stay on as England manager for the World Cup in 2026.

Should England fall short at the Euros, then Southgate is expected to consider leaving his post which would potentially free him to succeed Ten Hag at United.

Whether United are prepared to wait until after the Euros to make an appointment if they sack Ten Hag remains to be seen.

United are believed to be wary of prioritising short-term gain and risking long-term pain in any future managerial appointments, whether or not they sack Ten Hag this summer, having witnessed it backfire elsewhere.

That does not rule out a move for a candidate such as Tuchel, who won the Champions League at Chelsea, should he demonstrate a willingness and desire to help build something sustainable at Old Trafford.

But it is a boost for candidates such as Southgate and Graham Potter, whose credentials for the United job are not based on their ability to deliver a trophy at whatever cost.

Sources have pointed to the fact that incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth has worked with both Southgate and Potter, helping to hire both men for England and Brighton.

Ashworth also worked successfully with Eddie Howe at Newcastle United and he, Southgate and Potter are all described as being similar characters.

Southgate successfully rebuilt what had been a toxic environment in and around the England team, which could be seen as a comparable task to the one facing United who have lurched from one crisis to the next since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

Ajax have stepped up their pursuit of Potter, who also has interest from AC Milan, Feyenoord and Porto. He could also become a candidate to succeed Southgate at England.

Tuchel has confirmed that he would like to return to England once he officially leaves Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

The 50-year-old said: “It is no secret that I loved it at Chelsea, I loved it in England and I loved it in the Premier League for sure,” said Tuchel. “It was a very, very special time in England.”

Asked where he sees himself next season, Tuchel added: “It’s very, very, very unlikely that it’s at Bayern. We took this position and there’s a pact we are not doubting, the initiative came from the club and so it is and I’m fine with it.”

Telegraph Sport reported that United’s army of opinionated former players are causing reservations among some of the potential candidates to succeed Ten Hag as manager.

Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen are among a large group of prominent former players who now offer strong opinions on United and the club’s managers.

There is no suggestion that any candidate would turn down the post if it were offered because of the opinions of ex-players, but it is an issue that would be taken into consideration and is ultimately viewed as making the job harder.

One source said: “No English club has as many ex-players talking about all the great things they did at the club in the past and creating so many headlines with their opinions about the manager. Nobody can think it is helpful.”