Man Utd lining up former Chelsea boss amid Erik ten Hag sack pressure and key meeting planned

Manchester United are lining up Thomas Tuchel as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag with the Dutchman's future in serious doubt following the club's poor start to the season

Manchester United are reportedly eyeing Thomas Tuchel as a potential successor to Erik ten Hag. The former Bayern Munich boss, who is currently without a club, was previously considered by United last summer as they mulled over Ten Hag's position.

With Tuchel available immediately, he presents an attractive option for the Red Devils, who have other targets currently tied to clubs. United chiefs are set to convene in London on Tuesday, and Ten Hag is anticipating talks with the club soon.

"So I don't have any idea that is different because they should have told me, said Ten Hag on Sunday. "We communicate very open, very transparent.

"I speak continuously with them and just after the game I have to do my job, talk with the players, manage the players and answer questions from you. We always talk. Every week, I would say every day we talk, so I expect I will speak with them."

In a challenging season where United have secured only three wins out of 11 matches and sit 14th in the Premier League standings, Ten Hag's role remains precarious. The team has struggled offensively, netting a mere five goals in seven league fixtures, with only Southampton scoring less, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Already trailing by seven points from the fourth spot for Champions League qualification, United face the risk of missing out on the competition for two consecutive seasons for the first time since their return in 1993.

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Tuchel had a meeting with United's co-chairman, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, over the summer to discuss the possibility of him taking the reins. When asked by the BBC on Friday if he still had faith in Ten Hag, Ratcliffe responded, "I don't want to answer that question."

He also hinted that the key decision-makers at United were chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth, who both started their roles in July and therefore had no official influence on the decision to retain Ten Hag.

Last month, Ashworth stated he had "none whatsoever" but wrote in the club yearbook: "Our first big decision of the summer was to extend Erik ten Hag's contract as men's first-team manager to June 2026, reflecting our strong belief in him as one of Europe's top coaches, and the partner we want to continue working with to get the team back to the levels expected."

Despite offering full support for Ten Hag five weeks ago, United have only won two out of their seven matches between the September and October internationals, marking their worst start to a league season in 35 years. Tuchel, aged 51, expressed his appreciation for United's interest last season and spoke highly of the club before Bayern's Champions League group stage matches against United last year.

The German made reference to United's aura and brought up their 1999 Champions League final comeback against Bayern without being prompted.

Tuchel, who has Premier League experience from his time at Chelsea, where he clinched the Champions League and Club World Cup titles and led the club to three other finals, is not known for long stints. His tenures at Bayern and Chelsea, his most recent clubs, lasted 18 months each, while he was at Paris Saint-Germain for two-and-a-half years.

Tuchel made history as the only PSG coach to guide the team to a Champions League final in 2020, which they lost to Bayern. He also celebrated back-to-back Ligue 1 title wins with PSG and a Bundesliga title victory with Bayern in 2023.