Ratcliffe holds meeting with elite manager in search of Ten Hag’s replacement at Manchester United

Manchester United remain tight-lipped over Erik ten Hag’s long-term future but it appears the club’s hierarchy are doing work behind the scenes to potentially replace him.

In late May, Ten Hag’s men lifted the FA Cup trophy at Wembley, ending a frustrating season on high. However, the fact United only managed an eighth-place finish in the Premier League led to many reports suggesting the Dutch coach will be sacked this summer.

It has been more than two weeks since that Wembley triumph over Manchester City, and Ten Hag still remains at the helm.

Having said that, the situation has seemingly not stopped Sir Jim Ratcliffe and company from exploring their options before making any public announcement.

Manchester United co-owner holds talks with Thomas Tuchel – report

According to BILD’s Christian Falk, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is now in charge of overseeing football operations at Manchester United instead of the Glazers, held a meeting with Thomas Tuchel in Monaco last Tuesday.

Tuchel departed Bayern Munich at the end of the season and it is understood that the former Chelsea man is keen to return to the Premier League.

Falk claims that during the said meeting the German manager revealed his plans if he were to replace Ten Hag at Old Trafford this summer, explaining to Ratcliffe how he could improve Jadon Sancho and Mason Mount’s situations at the club.

Read More: Manchester United approach €65m-rated striker, says Fabrizio Romano

The 50-year-old, who led Chelsea to the Champions League trophy in 2021, improved many players at Stamford Bridge. It is claimed that during talks with Ratcliffe, he mentioned his success story involving Antonio Rüdiger, who at one point was considered a flop in London.

Whether Tuchel’s pitch impressed Ratcliffe enough to show Ten Hag the exit door at United remains to be seen.