Liverpool legend wanted Thomas Tuchel to replace Jurgen Klopp as Man Utd weighs up move
Manchester United could be about to swoop for the manager that Jamie Carragher initially wanted to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
Erik ten Hag is under significant pressure at United following his side's appalling start to the season, with the Red Devils down in 14th place in the Premier League table after seven matches.
United has won just two of its last nine games in all competitions and is winless in five, signing off for the international break with a dreary draw away to Aston Villa.
United's top brass are said to be meeting during the early stages of the international break and a decision on Ten Hag's future will surely be at the top of the agenda.
The Manchester Evening News reports that United is lining up Thomas Tuchel as a possible replacement for Ten Hag after initially holding talks with the German over the summer.
United sounded out several options in the weeks following the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City but ultimately decided to stick with Ten Hag for the new season. That show of loyalty has not been rewarded, though, with United already well off the pace in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League.
Tuchel is one of the most high-profile managers who is not currently attached to a club and has a track record for winning big competitions throughout his career, although there are concerns about his longevity given he has lasted fewer than three years in each of his last four jobs.
Still, Tuchel's CV is more impressive than Ten Hag's, and it's his trophy-winning record that prompted Jamie Carragher to suggest over the summer that Liverpool should've looked to appoint him instead of Arne Slot.
"I would have given more thorough consideration to a coach like Thomas Tuchel, who took on and beat Pep Guardiola in the ultimate test - a Champions League final," Carragher said in The Telegraph.
"Tuchel followed Klopp at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund and did well. It has not worked out at Bayern Munich this season, but you only have to look at Carlo Ancelotti and Unai Emery to recognise how top coaches recover from setbacks.
"If another English club takes Tuchel, that would convince me they will significantly improve, but my sense is Liverpool don't want a coach with a reputation for being fractious.
"I would prefer a proven winner who could be difficult to manage to a coach who might be easy to manage but still have everything to prove. My overriding concern is this: does Slot move to England ready to take on Guardiola for the Premier League and Champions League?"
Carragher will no doubt have changed his opinion on whether the German should have been handed the Anfield reins, but even so, Tuchel will almost certainly improve United if he is chosen to replace Ten Hag - and seeing United improve is never a good thing if you're a Liverpool fan.