Manchester United are considering retaining Erik ten Hag as their manager for next season.
United officials have notified representatives of potential replacements that they have not discounted the possibility of keeping the Dutchman after he guided the club to their 13th FA Cup triumph over Manchester City on Saturday.
Ten Hag, 52, is under contract at United until next year and the club has the option of an additional year.
United have assessed a number of possible successors and have held dialogue with intermediaries in recent weeks.
The club have stressed a review of the season will begin this week and no decision or action will happen before that review is complete.
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna withdrew as a candidate to take over at Chelsea as his preferred destination would be United. Former United coach McKenna is reluctant to rush into a decision after leading Ipswich Town back up to the Premier League, though.
Chelsea favour the Leicester coach Enzo Maresca as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor, with former Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi also under consideration. Leicester are already scouring for a new coach.
Former Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel and Pochettino, jettisoned by Chelsea last week, would relish the chance to manage United.
Pochettino has coveted the United job for years and the majority of the players were in favour of the Argentinian taking over in the summer of 2022. United’s then-football director John Murtough opted for Ten Hag.
A report on Friday claimed Ten Hag would be sacked no matter the result of the FA Cup final. External sources have expected Ten Hag to be dismissed on account of United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.
United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has declined to offer Ten Hag assurances over his future as United consider their options since he agreed a minority stake on Christmas Eve.
Despite United’s dismal league form, Ratcliffe feels the club’s structure has been more problematic than the manager and he has resolved to address it through the appointment of Berrada, who will officially start work on July 13. Dan Ashworth is still on gardening leave at Newcastle and United have failed to make any headway with his intended appointment.
This season’s eighth-place finish was United’s lowest since 1990 and they suffered a Premier League-era record 14 defeats. United’s uplifting FA Cup victory secured Europa League qualification and Ten Hag is the first manager to secure silverware in successive seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011.
United are preparing for another squad rebuild and are open to offers for every player apart from Andre Onana, Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund. The club have invested more than £400million in signings under Ten Hag.
Ratcliffe and the Ineos Group members now involved in the running of United have hired a new chief executive in Omar Berrada and head-hunted Dan Ashworth to become their inaugural sporting director. Former chief executive Richard Arnold and football director Murtough have both left, as have interim chief executive Patrick Stewart and chief financial officer Cliff Baty.