Sir Jim Ratcliffe turns to ex-Chelsea boss as Erik ten Hag's potential replacement at Manchester United: Reports
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly looks to have added former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel to his shortlist of potential replacements for Erik ten Hag.
German outlet Kicker's Georg Holzner (via centredevils) reports that Ratcliffe has asked Tuchel to commit to United in the event Ten Hag departs. The Dutch coach has come under increasing pressure amid a poor sophomore season at Old Trafford.
Tuchel will be out of management this summer because he's leaving Bayern Munich. The two parties have decided to go their separate ways amid the Bavarians missing out on the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2012.
The German coach was a massive hit at Stamford Bridge from January 2021 to September 2022, guiding the Blues to the UEFA Champions League. Many criticized his exit as they felt the west Londoners unjustly parted with the former PSG tactician.
Ratcliffe is said to be a huge admirer of Tuchel who was linked with the Manchester United job when Roman Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea. He oversaw 63 wins in 100 games during his reign with the Red Devils' Premier League rivals.
Ten Hag's is increasingly at risk of losing the Manchester United job come summertime. He has a year left on his contract but his side have faltered this season.
Ratcliffe was in attendance on Sunday (April 21) for the FA Cup semifinal against Coventry City. Ten Hag's side prevailed with a 4-2 win on penalties but squandered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 in over 120 minutes.
Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel delved into the pressure the Manchester United job brings
Tuchel came up against Manchester United earlier this season in the UEFA Champions League. His side won both home (4-3) and away (1-0) in the group stages as Ten Hag's men crashed out early doors.
The Bayern boss was asked about the Red Devils' fall from grace in recent years. The former Chelsea manager highlighted the pressure that comes with the job in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era:
"I feel like at United there's always a lot of noise, a lot of consultants in the UK are ex-players. The legacy of Sir Alex [Ferguson] creates a lot of pressure and of expectations."
Manchester United have failed to win the Premier League since Ferguson retired in 2013. Ten Hag ended a six-year trophy drought by delivering the Carabao Cup last season. Tuchel has won trophies with Chelsea, PSG, Bayern, and Borussia Dortmund during his managerial career.